Tennessee will evaluate all options at quarterback, per Josh Heupel

Now that Joe Milton is out of eligibility, the next step for Tennessee seems to be making Nico Iamaleava the starting quarterback. He sat behind Milton this past year as a freshman, and it looks like he’ll have the keys to Josh Heupel’s high-powered offense in 2024.

Iamaleava is one part of the future at quarterback on Rocky Top, though. On National Signing Day, Tennessee officially landed four-star Jake Merklinger — the No. 10-ranked quarterback in the country, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. With Iamaleava and Merklinger in tow, along with some preferred walk-ons, it looks like a young quarterback room for the Vols.

As for whether Heupel will bring in some experience via the transfer portal, that’s all part of the evaluation process.

“I think quarterback is one of the positions, you look across the country, it’s hard to have the depth at the position that you historically may have had,” Heupel said. “We’re going to continue to always evaluate. That’s true at quarterback, but it’s true at every position here as we go through January.”

Iamaleava appeared in four games as a freshman this past season, completing 16 of 26 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown during that time. He arrived on campus with plenty of hype as On3’s No. 1 overall recruit in the On300 Rankings, and was seen as the quarterback of the future for Tennessee.

In Merklinger, though, the Volunteers have another quarterback who can develop under Heupel’s leadership. He listed the traits his new QB brings to the table, and while he noted Merklinger will get “spoon-fed” to start, Heupel said he has the intangibles to be great as he develops.

“Smart, competitive. He’s got good fundamentals,” Heupel said. “We’ve got to refine some of those things. He’s already been working on those since he stepped foot on campus. But his football IQ, his ability to retain information, process out on the football field. He’s a winner.”

Should Tennessee decide to add experience from the portal, the Vols have a history of success with transfer quarterbacks. Hendon Hooker came in from Virginia Tech ahead of Heupel’s first season, and Milton transferred from Michigan.

As Tennessee prepares for the Citrus Bowl against Iowa, all eyes will be on the quarterback position if Milton opts out of the game and Iamaleava gets the start against one of the nation’s top defenses.