Josh Heupel updates progress of Tennessee backup QBs Gaston Moore, Jake Merklinger
What Josh Heupel saw from his backup quarterbacks, redshirt senior Gaston Moore and freshman Jake Merklinger, Friday night in Tennessee Football’s first scrimmage of fall camp is what he has seen since the team’s first practice.
“Both of them did a great job operating the offense,” Heupel said during his press conference after the workout at Neyland Stadium, “but they really have all training camp.”
Five-star redshirt freshman Nico Iamaleava is taking over the reins at quarterback, following Hendon Hooker and Joe Milton III the last two seasons, but Moore and Merklinger will be relied on for depth at the position.
Moore, who followed Heupel and his staff from Central Florida in 2021, has appeared in eight games over the last three seasons, completing 10 of 17 passes for 72 yards. He hasn’t thrown a touchdown and has been intercepted once.
Gaston Moore was ‘really efficient’ in Tennessee’s first scrimmage
Merklinger enters his freshman season — he enrolled early in January and played in the Orange & White Game after going through spring practice with the Vols — after signing with Tennessee as a four-star prospect in the 2024 class.
Moore went 12-for-18 for 154 yards and two touchdowns in the spring game while Merklinger was 5-for-7 for 105 yards and a touchdown, adding 43 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground.
“Merk is a young guy (who) continues to get better every single day,” Heupel said. “He’s great. He has great confidence. He works extremely hard at it. He’s got a really good energy in the huddle. His demeanor is really positive.
“Gaston just did a really efficient job (in the scrimmage),” Heupel added. “Made some really nice throws out on the run. He’s done that all training camp. He’s taken pretty good care of the football throughout the course of training camp too, so I’m pleased with the development of those guys.”
Jake Merklinger was ranked No. 201 overall in 2024 class as a four-star prospect
Merklinger was ranked No. 201 overall in On3 Industry Ranking for the 2024 class. He was the No. 12 quarterback nationally and the No. 23 overall prospect in the state of Georgia, out of Calvary Day School in Savannah.
He picked the Vols over offers from Georgia, Florida, Auburn and Michigan State, among others.
“You feel like you could just roll (Merklinger) in there and he’s going to know how to call the play,” Tennessee offensive coordinator Joey Halzle said at the start of fall camp, “he’s going put his eyes in the right spot. Is he going to have some growing pains? Absolutely. But he’s a guy that’s definitely got a chance to contribute as a freshman.”
Moore appeared in four games last season, after playing in three games in 2022 and one game in 2021. He was 4-for-10 for 36 yards last season and went 4-for-5 for 30 yards two years ago.
“He’s a guy that’s been in this system for five years,” Halzle said. “So he’s a guy that knows it inside and out, from the run game to the RPO game, to the shot game, to anything that we’re doing. He can operate efficiently with the tempo. He’s a huge asset to us.”
