The Vols Quarterback Situation Is FAR From Settled...

AtoZ Sports

Lucas Panzica discusses the QB battle for the Tennessee Volunteers this offseason, consisting of Jake Merklinger, George MacIntyre, and Joey Aguilar.

Transcript

00:00Well, it was a wild saga between Nico Iamaliava and the Tennessee Volunteers.

00:05But at this point, weeks have gone by.

00:07We know exactly what Tennessee's quarterback room looks like going into next season.

00:11Now the question looms, who's the favorite to be the starter for the Vols?

00:15We'll discuss it next.

00:20Hey, Lucas Panzeke here from 104.5 The Zone and A to Z Sports.

00:23So we know Tennessee's quarterback room consists of three scholarship players.

00:28They are former four-star Jake Merklinger, former four-star George McIntyre,

00:33and the Appalachian State to UCLA to Tennessee transfer Joey Aguilar,

00:38who comes to Tennessee in the wake of Nico's move from Tennessee to UCLA.

00:43Now the Vols reportedly are paying Aguilar just over a million dollars in NIL money,

00:48close to the figure that he was making at UCLA.

00:52So when you ask the question, who's the favorite to win this starting job,

00:55I think it's easy right now to sit here and say Joey Aguilar will be in the driver's seat

01:00just based on his experience at the college football level.

01:04And the money that Tennessee is paying him absolutely is a factor here as well.

01:09But let's start with that experience.

01:11Joey Aguilar, though not as highly recruited as the likes of Jake Merklinger or George McIntyre,

01:16comes into Tennessee having played in 35 games in his college football career.

01:21Two seasons at Appalachian State.

01:23That includes nearly 7,000 career passing yards, 56 career passing touchdowns,

01:29to 24 career interceptions.

01:31That's what he brings into this quarterback room.

01:34Jake Merklinger is a guy that's only attempted nine passes at the FBS level.

01:38And as we know, George McIntyre has yet to step on the field at this level

01:43as he undergoes his first spring practice or just wrapped up his first spring practice

01:47as a Tennessee quarterback.

01:49So it is easy to say Joey Aguilar.

01:51Of course, the key difference is Joey Aguilar has to take on this offense

01:57and learn the entire system in a matter of months.

01:59He did not get the luxury of spring practice.

02:02In fact, Aguilar spent all of spring ball learning an entirely new offense

02:06under Tino Sinceri, the offensive coordinator at UCLA,

02:09before coming to Tennessee.

02:11And it's a very different-looking offense from what the Vols run

02:14when you think back to what Indiana did in the 2024 season

02:18when Sinceri was the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Hoosiers.

02:22So Aguilar comes in, and there was a report over the weekend from Chris Lowe

02:27that he actually may arrive on campus earlier than anticipated.

02:31Joey Aguilar could move to Knoxville

02:33and start getting integrated with this football team around mid-May,

02:37which would be a huge development every week will be important for Aguilar

02:41to get this system under his feet before the start of training camp.

02:45Now, it's not unprecedented for a quarterback to come in

02:48to Josh Heupel's system at Tennessee post-spring practice

02:51and win the starting job.

02:53Of course, we saw that with Joe Milton.

02:55Hendon Hooker was here.

02:56He was a holdover from the Pruitt era, was there throughout spring practice,

03:00and Tennessee hit the portal looking for a quarterback

03:02before that 2021 season, year one of the Heupel era.

03:06Of course, they brought in Milton from Michigan,

03:08and he was able to win the job in fall camp.

03:11We all know how that turned out.

03:12Joe Milton got hurt.

03:13Hendon Hooker came in.

03:14The rest is history, but it is certainly not unprecedented

03:18to see a quarterback come in at this point in the year

03:20and be able to learn enough of the offense

03:22to hold off talented players for a starting role.

03:26So I do think if you were to label a betting favorite

03:29for the starting quarterback of the Vols right now,

03:32it would have to be Joey Aguilar simply based on that experience.

03:36But you can't rule out Jake Merklinger here,

03:39and you do give Merklinger the nod if it comes down

03:41to either he or George McIntyre

03:43just due to the fact that McIntyre is still so fresh-faced

03:47on campus right now.

03:49He still has to add some good weight.

03:51He doesn't have the year under his belt

03:53that Merklinger had in this system last year

03:55as the third-string quarterback for the Vols.

03:57So if you're to rank it right now,

04:00you're probably going Joey Aguilar 1,

04:02Jake Merklinger 2, and George McIntyre.

04:05But when fall camp comes around,

04:07Tennessee will have an opportunity

04:08to really test out its quarterback depth chart.

04:11One thing I do believe is that this will be

04:13a legitimate competition.

04:15It will not be Joey Aguilar arriving in Knoxville

04:18and getting the keys to the offense

04:19handed to him right off the bat.

04:21He's going to have to come in

04:23and win the starting job

04:24after what has certainly been a whirlwind of an offseason,

04:27not just for him, but for the Tennessee football program

04:30as a whole, as we know.

04:32It'll be a very interesting fall camp.

04:34Vols fans will be checking in for updates at every turn.

04:37And like I said, Aguilar seems like he will arrive on campus

04:40maybe earlier than anticipated,

04:42which is a very positive development.

04:44But there's no doubt there will be

04:46an important quarterback battle taking place in Knoxville

04:49before that week one kickoff against Syracuse in Atlanta

04:52for the 2025 season.

04:53We'll see you next time.

04:58We'll see you next time.

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