Tennessee
Inside Tennessee football’s QB search as portal opens: Pay transfer or Jake Merklinger?
On the second floor of Tennessee’s Anderson Training Center, Billy High is working feverishly to find the Vols a new quarterback to replace Nico Iamaleava.
High, who started his career as Lane Kiffin’s UT recruiting intern in 2009, is now the director of internal and advance scouting. That means he’s the point person for identifying potential quarterback prospects in the transfer portal.
Down the hall, coach Josh Heupel and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle are meeting with players about their future with the Vols and plotting the program’s next move at its most important position.
And UT’s NIL collective must be brought into the loop once the biggest decisions are made by Heupel.
The transfer portal is open April 16-25. The Vols will get a new quarterback after Iamaleava bolted when NIL negotiations broke down.
But it’s not as simple as UT picking a player, inking an NIL deal and announcing it to an eager fan base. There are many moving parts and big questions to answer.
Can Tennessee get a premier quarterback in transfer portal?
Landing a veteran starter is a tall order in the spring portal window. The best quarterbacks are already well paid and established in their programs.
So scratch off star quarterbacks like Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt and Kansas State’s Avery Johnson from the wish list.
However, there are proven starters willing to consider UT if the money and opportunity are right.
Iamaleava was reportedly paid more than $2 million per year via his NIL contract. If a veteran quarterback wants to transfer to UT, he would hold a reasonable amount of leverage.
However, UT must consider several factors across the roster before pulling the trigger on any quarterback.
Is protecting Jake Merklinger a high priority?
If UT lands an established starter, redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger would presumably remain the backup, just as he would’ve been for Iamaleava.
Then Merklinger could compete for the starting job in 2026 alongside freshman George MacIntyre and five-star recruit Faizon Brandon, who’s committed to sign with the Vols in December.
But landing an established starter also could push Merklinger to the portal if he thought he had a better chance at a starting job at another school. The Vols would have to risk losing Merklinger to get a surefire starter or, at least, come to an understanding beforehand.
If UT lands a second-tier transfer, Merklinger has a shot to win the starting job this season. But he would also gain some leverage to negotiate an increase in his NIL deal.
Sure, Merklinger is unproven. He’s played only two games and thrown nine passes. But this is the blessing and the curse of UT stacking highly touted quarterback recruits on its roster.
Will other transfers impact Tennessee’s QB budget?
There’s a multi-layered cost analysis involved here.
UT must consider the cost in NIL money of a transfer quarterback, a potential raise for Merklinger if he’s the starter and other additions to the roster.
How much are they worth? And how much does paying a quarterback impact improving the roster elsewhere?
For example, the Vols have only seven scholarship wide receivers on the 2025 roster, and they’re mostly inexperienced. They need to add another receiver, but that won’t come cheap.
Chris Brazzell is UT’s most seasoned receiver with 29 receptions for 333 yards and two TDs last season. Former five-star recruit Mike Matthews had seven receptions. Braylon Staley had three catches as a freshman.
No other UT receivers have made a catch in college. They include Alabama transfer Amari Jefferson, who redshirted last season, and three true freshmen.
Whether Merklinger or a transfer starts at quarterback, they’ll need help.
Could Tennessee players enter portal based on QB decision?
The portal is a two-way street, so UT must keep its roster intact while shopping for a quarterback.
Coaches have had exit meetings with players this week, which are routine after spring practice. That’s when coaches evaluate their progress and go through their offseason plan.
With the portal opening, it’s also an opportunity to gauge players’ likelihood of transferring. The uncertainty at quarterback can be unsettling, so coaches are trying to calm any concerns.
For example, Matthews considered going into the portal in December when it appeared Iamaleava might do the same. There’s no indication that Matthews will re-consider.
But now that Iamaleava is gone, coaches must implement their portal plan quickly to keep their offensive weapons from looking elsewhere. The Vols need a quarterback, but they also need a supporting cast.
It’s a difficult balancing act, but that’s the state of college football these days.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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Tennessee
Answering Tennessee Football’s Burning Questions Less Than 100 Days Until Kickoff | Rocky Top Insider
We’re less than 100 days until Tennessee football meets Furman to open the 2026 season inside Neyland Stadium. As the team meets for summer workouts in Knoxville, there are some serious questions with strong implications still unanswered, though.
Here’s the latest on the answer to each burning question revolving around the Vols.
Who leads Tennessee’s quarterback battle?
Josh Heupel won’t name a starting quarterback until much closer to the start of the season, if not into the season itself, with an FCS game to open the year. The reason is he wants to see how each player develops over the summer and into training camp after receiving hands-on instruction from the coaching staff during the spring.
However, all the buzz is currently around five-star true freshman Faizon Brandon. Multiple college football insiders have given him the leg up entering the summer after he showed up to campus with a college-ready frame and strong understanding of Heupel’s offense.
The battle is far from over, though. Redshirt-freshman George MacIntyre will have a say as he pushes to take the reins of the offense after sitting behind Joey Aguilar and Jake Merklinger last season. Colorado transfer Ryan Staub will also get reps as he looks to emerge.
I think if you asked Heupel who the quarterback will be next season, he’d truthfully say he doesn’t know, though. It’s still a completely open competition as we gear up for fall camp at the beginning of August.
More From RTI: Tennessee Football’s First Three Games Officially Have Set Kickoff Times. Here’s What They are.
Will Chaz Coleman play for the Vols?
As spring camp progressed, Tennessee was without one of its key transfer portal pickups. Chaz Coleman, a highly-touted edge rusher from Penn State, began to miss practices and ultimately did not play in the annual Orange and White Game.
Now, it’s being reported that Coleman is not on campus for the start of voluntary workouts. We’ve seen missing practices and workouts be the end of tenures at UT in the past, as well. It was the final straw for Nico Iamaleava before he entered the portal in the spring of 2024, and Boo Carter missing workouts led to punishment before he transferred during the 2025 season.
It’s not a cut-and-clear case with Coleman, though. There’s still a chance he can work his way back into the fold for Tennessee this upcoming season, but there is plenty of work to be done. We’ll ultimately have to wait and see, but confidence is beginning to dwindle.
Either way, this now means Tulane transfer Jordan Norman is going to have to play a significant role this upcoming season and is a name to watch during fall camp.
How has the team adapted to the new big-name coaches?
This offseason, Tennessee added two significant coaches to its staff. To replace Tim Banks at defensive coordinator, Josh Heupel went out and got Jim Knowles. To revamp his strength program, he hired Indiana’s Derek Owings.
So far, it seems like both additions have gone very well. Knowles has a tough job in front of him, but he retooled the defense at multiple positions through the transfer portal. The linebacker room seems very strong, and he added talent to the secondary, but the defensive line will be interesting to watch.
Overall, it seems like the team has responded well to what Knowles and his staff are trying to implement on that side of the ball, though.
In the weight room, Owings has seemingly turned things around. Players don’t only look bigger, but plenty have talked to the media about how they feel faster and stronger already during spring camp. That impact could be one that goes under the radar but is felt in a big way this year.
Fingerprints of enslaved person found in brick at Blount Mansion
Fingerprints of enslaved person found in brick at Blount Mansion
Knoxville News Sentinel
Much to-do is being made of America’s 250th birthday, as well it should.
But did you know June 1 is Tennessee’s 230th birthday?
It was on June 1, 1796, that President George Washington signed a bill granting Tennessee immediate admission as the 16th state. Gov. John Sevier was chosen to lead the new state, and Knoxville was picked as its first capital.
A decade before, settlers west of the Appalachian mountains had sought admission to the union for the state of Franklin. But despite four years of existence, Franklin never gained federal approval.
Tennessee’s first official state constitution – drafted by 55 delegates in Knoxville in 1796 – is on display at the Tennessee State Library and Archives.
It was drafted in the home of William Blount, which still stands on West Hill Avenue in downtown Knoxville.
Tennessee actually has three state constitutions: the first, adopted in 1796, a revision adopted in 1834 to update the taxation and court systems, and the 1870 constitution, adopted after the Civil War.
The 1870 constitution permanently abolished slavery in Tennessee and remains the state’s fundamental charter.
Celebrate Tennessee’s birthday in Knoxville
Marble Springs State Historic Site, home of Gov. John Sevier, will have a two-day free party for Tennessee’s Statehood Day.
Tennessee Field Day for kids (or kids at heart) is noon-5 p.m. May 29 and Statehood Day is 10 a.m.-4 p.m. May 30. Field Day explores history through many aspects and activities, and Statehood Day focuses more on lectures, demonstrations, music, line dancing and food.
The historic buildings and learning center are at 1200 W. Gov. John Sevier Highway in Knoxville.
Look back at how Tennessee was founded
1785-1789: Settlers establish independent systems of government and petition to become a state, but they fail to gain recognition for the state of Franklin. The territory is again under the control of North Carolina.
1789: North Carolina ratifies the United States Constitution and cedes its Tennessee lands to the federal government. It is designated as the “Territory of the United States, South of the River Ohio,” more commonly known as the “Southwest Territory.” William Blount is appointed by George Washington to be governor. Early governance of the territory is focused on making treaties with Native Americans, securing settlers from attacks and encouraging settlement. Warfare with Native American tribes increases through the 1790s.
1792: Knoxville is selected as the capital of the Southwest Territory.
January 1796: Gov. William Blount calls for a constitutional convention in Knoxville to begin the process of joining the Union. The delegates form an organized government and constitution before applying to Congress for admission to the Union. The delegates select John Sevier as governor, William Blount and William Cocke as senators and Andrew Jackson as representative.
June 1, 1796: Tennessee becomes the 16th state in America. Knoxville remains the capital until 1812.
1812: Tennessee earns its nickname “The Volunteer State” during the War of 1812 because it sends 1,500 volunteer soldiers.
1812-1816: Nashville is Tennessee’s capital.
1817-1818: Knoxville is Tennessee’s capital again.
1818-1826: Murfreesboro is the capital of Tennessee.
1826-present day: Nashville becomes – and remains – the capital of Tennessee.
The Tennessee Volunteers are constantly getting players in the MLB and the MILB farm system, which is the developmental program that all rookies and young players (a.k.a. prospects) start off in. One of the players who has been in the farm system since being drafted is Nate Snead, who was with the Tennessee Vols just last season as a pitcher, and one of the better pitchers on the Tennessee roster.
Nate Snead is one of the better players to come through the Tennessee program as a reliever, and he is one of the better pitchers when it comes to his fastball, as he throws what many would confirm to be “gas.”
Nate Snead Gets Called Up
Snead was in Single-A to start his career, but he is now on his way up, as he is moving up to Double-A after a great start to his career. He is heading to the Rocket City Trash Pandas, which is an affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. This would mean he is in the same farm system that both Christian Moore and Ben Joyce recently had to come through, and is one of the better players in the farm system for the Angels, anyway.
He currently holds an ERA of 2.80, which is great considering he has pitched 35.1 innings. He holds a win-loss record of 3-3, and also has a total of 39 strikeouts, which would mean he is averaging more than a strikeout every inning he pitches. He is also giving up less than a hit an inning, which is where he should be in order to get called up.
This decision doesn’t seem rushed, and it doesn’t seem that this is going to backfire. He will likely finish his season in Double-A, although a great stretch could lead to him being fast-tracked to Triple-A, the final team before the majors.
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