Tennessee
Tennessee football’s QB1 battle to be ‘intense’ as three-way race has no front-runner | Sporting News
The Tennessee Volunteers are entering rare territory this summer: they don’t have a starting quarterback locked in. And this isn’t just a two-man battle—it’s a three-way competition, all sparked by Nico Iamaleava’s surprising decision to leave campus just one day before the spring game.
Initially, Iamaleava’s father dismissed the reports, calling out On3’s Pete Nakos for spreading false information.
“More games being played off the field than on the field. Bi7ch Nakos from On3 called and asked me directly, I told him I had no idea on what he’s talking about. He said his ‘close source’ that he trusts with his life from the University of Tennessee staff gave him this,” Iamaleava’s father wrote.
Iamaleava ultimately transferred to UCLA, where he’s expected to make a significant impact—especially for a program that’s struggled in recent seasons. His decision to leave Knoxville was reportedly motivated by a desire to be closer to home.
His departure has now ignited an all-out quarterback battle at Tennessee, with three players competing for the job—and each driven by different motivations.
“I think that’s going to be a healthy competition,” said VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs. “But I think it’s going to be a pretty intense competition in that quarterback room, too. I think Merklinger, I think he got a taste and the thought of being the number one quarterback when Nico left. That week or two after, he was QB1. And I don’t think he wants to let go of that. And then George went from, I’m not gonna play, to wait a minute, I’m in the competition. And then Joey Aguilar is looking at it going, well, I could step in there and be the guy at an SEC program….and play in front of 100,000 people, I’m not going to screw this thing up. So I think everybody’s got their own kind of drive with it. But I think it’s going to be a pretty intense competition between all three of those. It should be fun.”
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All three quarterbacks may be worthy of the starting role, but only one will win the job. Until a decision is made, expect a fiery and competitive atmosphere in the QB room throughout summer practices.
Tennessee football and coach Josh Heupel picked up a commitment from Brentwood Academy four-star wide receiver Kesean Bowman on March 28 while he was visiting the school.
Bowman narrowed his list to Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Ohio State, Alabama and Miami on March 2. All five schools were among his top 10 he acknowledged on Oct. 30. Texas, LSU, USC, Texas A&M and Oregon were among the schools left off his list.
The 6-foot, 174-pound Bowman is ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the state for the 2027 class. He is the No. 6 wide receiver nationally, according to 247Sports Composite. He has more than 35 other offers. He decommitted from Oregon last September, more than two months after committing to the Ducks.
Bowman was a Division II-AAA Mr. Football semifinalist, who caught 49 passes for 665 yards and 11 TDs, during BA’s 2025 state runner-up season. He also had a rushing TD and was named the DII-AAA West Region Offensive MVP. He was named to The Tennessean’s 2025 All Midstate Large Class football team and is a Middle Tennessee Sports Awards offensive football player of the year nominee.
Bowman helped BA finish 11-1 in 2025, losing to Baylor in the DII-AAA state championship game.
Tennessee and Heupel have also offered Brentwood Academy offensive tackle Rance Brown, a 6-6, 290-pound lineman who transferred from Southside (Alabama). The Vols are pursuing BA junior four-star linebacker Kenneth Simon II as well.
Tyler Palmateer covers high school sports for The Tennessean. Have a story idea for Tyler? Reach him at tpalmateer@tennessean.com and on the X platform, @tpalmateer83.
He also contributes to The Tennessean’s high school sports newsletter, The Bootleg. Subscribe to The Bootleg here.
The Tennessee Titans have made some improvements throughout the offseason and appear better positioned heading into the draft than they were in 2024, with added depth on both sides of the ball.
Yet, even with the added talent, they still have multiple needs they must continue to address to help both now and in the future, and another solid draft would go a long way in finding a sustainable path forward. Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated looked at the roster and saw some of the same things as he broke down their remaining needs heading into the draft.
Tennessee Titans
Draft needs: RB, WR, edge, S
The running back duo of Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears hasn’t been a productive one. Cam Ward desperately needs a game-changer at one of the skill positions. Newcomer wideout Wan’Dale Robinson doesn’t exactly fit that bill, but he’ll make life easier for the second-year quarterback.
With Robert Saleh now the head coach in Tennessee, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Titans used the No. 4 pick on one of the top edge rushers.
There is no doubt that the Titans should add some playmakers in this draft class, and they shouldn’t bank on hitting a dynamic playmaker in the fourth round again. Tennessee could definitely use a premium pick on at least one or possibly two offensive weapons.
Tennessee also must invest in the interior of the offensive line to help Cam Ward and the offense. While it’s true that Pollard and Spears did not blow the doors off the running game, they were also hampered by subpar play along the offensive line for the past two seasons, after line guru Bill Callahan failed to transform the Titans’ line into a consistent unit. It wasn’t until after he and his son Brian Callahan left that the play-calling for the running game took off.
CHICAGO − Iowa State’s star forward Joshua Jefferson is questionable against Tennessee basketball according to the NCAA player availability report released at 6:32 p.m.
The No. 6 Vols (24-11) and No. 2 Cyclones (29-7) play in the Men’s NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 at the United Center on March 27 (10:10 p.m. ET, TBS).
Jefferson sprained his ankle in the opening minutes of Iowa State’s first-round game against Tennessee State. He sat for the remainder of the game and missed the Cyclones’ win over Kentucky on March 22. Iowa State didn’t need the All-Big 12 forward as it generated 20 Wildcat turnovers in its 19-point victory.
Senior Nate Heise started in place of the 6-foot-9 Jefferson. He had 12 points against Kentucky, but senior Tamin Lipsey stepped up with a season-high 26 points and 10 assists.
Jefferson averaged 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.6 steals and shot 47.1% from the field.
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
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