Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar (6), Tennessee quarterback George MacIntyre (15), and Tennessee quarterback Jake Merklinger (12) during Tennessee football preseason practice, in Knoxville, Tennessee, July 31, 2025. Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Breaking Down the Vols’ Quarterback Battle

Originally posted on Tennessee Volunteers on SI
By Josh Greer | Last updated Aug 12, 2025 9:15 AM ET

Tennessee’s quarterback competition remains wide open, as head coach Josh Heupel has yet to name a starter.

True freshman George MacIntyre, redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger, and senior graduate transfer Joey Aguilar each had opportunities to direct the offense on Saturday. Head coach Josh Heupel has not named a starter, preferring to let the competition play out as preseason camp continues.

“I’m not naming a starter today, but all three of those guys have shown some really good characteristics of doing some special things with the ball, also managing the game, eliminating negatives,” Heupel told UTSports.com. “There are some things that each of them and collectively as a group, we have to get better at, and that’s always the nature of this point in training camp.”

The rotation suggests Tennessee is committed to evaluating every option before settling on its Week 1 starter. MacIntyre brings high-upside talent as a true freshman, Merklinger offers system familiarity after a year in the program, and Aguilar brings game experience from his time as a starter at Appalachian State.

Josh Heupel’s decision to avoid naming a starter suggests he’s either still searching for separation or strategically keeping the battle alive to push each contender to elevate their play.

With two weeks of preseason practices completed, the battle under center is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched storylines heading into the final stretch of camp.