Tennessee QB commit Jake Merklinger trolls HS teammate, a South Carolina pledge, after Vols beat the Gamecocks
Tennessee football commit Jake Merklinger and South Carolina pledge Michael Smith are on the same high school team on Friday nights, but last weekend they were pitted against each other as the Volunteers and Gamecocks faced off.
The two apparently made a bet on the future teams, and the loser had to wear the winner’s school gear to class. The Vols easily dispatched South Carolina 41-20 at Neyland Stadium.
And Smith made good on his bet by showing up to Savannah (Ga.) Calvary Day School in a Tennessee bucket hat, Vols t-shirt and shorts adorned with the Power T logo.
“A bet is bet,” Merklinger tweeted out Wednesday afternoon, along with a photo of Smith in Vols gear.
Merklinger is one of the Vols prized commits
The two had fun with the bet — Merklinger likely more than Smith — but they have been a dynamic duo at Calvary Day School over the past few years.
Merklinger was already known as one of the top high school quarterbacks in Georgia heading into his junior year of high school. But he elevated his game in 2022 to become one of the country’s elite quarterback prospects. Merklinger was named the 2022 Offensive Player of the Year by the Savannah Quarterback Club. He threw for 1,987 yards with 32 touchdowns and just two interceptions and ran for 283 yards and four more scores to earn Region 3-3A Player of the Year honors.
This season, he has thrown for more than 1,200 yards and 15 touchdowns through six games while completing better than 65 percent of his passes.
Smith, meanwhile, is the team’s third leading receiver this season with 12 catches for 299 yards and five touchdowns, averaging nearly 25 yards per reception. That follows sophomore and junior season where he combined to haul in 66 passes for over 1,200 yards and 21 TDs.
Both check in as top-150 overall recruits
Merklinger is the No. 136 overall prospect and No. 8 quarterback in the 2024 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
“Merklinger is an accurate, functionally mobile passer with a strong feel for the game,” writes On3’s Scouting and Rankings team. “Measured at around 6-foot-3, 195 pounds prior to his senior season. Hand size has been measured between 9 and 9.25 inches. Among the more accurate and efficient top quarterbacks in the 2024 cycle.Sees the field well, finding open receivers while under pressure. Shows the ability to quickly react and escape from pass rushers. Functional mobility both in and out of the pocket is among the best among top 2024 quarterbacks at this juncture. Throws with timing and touch.”
Smith ranks as the No. 111 prospect and No. 10 tight end recruit.