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'I think there's a chance he would've looked at maybe getting in the portal' - Tennessee Vols may have narrowly dodged a key loss

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Zach Ragan | Last updated May 21, 2025 4:00 PM ET

Outside of the highly publicized departure of quarterback Nico Iamaleava, the Tennessee Vols avoided any major losses to the NCAA transfer portal during the spring window.

Apparently, though, that almost wasn't the case.

ESPN's Chris Low joined 104.5 The Zone's 3HL this week and he suggested that redshirt quarterback Jake Merklinger may have thought about entering the transfer portal during the spring window.

Tennessee added UCLA transfer quarterback Joey Aguilar to the roster during the spring window. Merklinger, who was next in line to start once Iamaleava left the program, will now have to battle Aguilar and true freshman George MacIntyre for the starting job this fall.

"Jake Merklinger's not going to just roll over," said Low while discussing Aguilar's chances of winning the starting quarterback job at Tennessee. "I think there was a chance Merklinger would have looked at maybe getting in the portal. I think he got a little bit more money, did not (enter the portal), and he's ready to compete for that job."

It's a good thing that Tennessee gave Merklinger some more cash and got him to stay. Competition brings out the best in elite quarterbacks. And the Vols should have a spirited competition this summer/fall between Aguilar, Merklinger, and MacIntyre.

Some folks have suggested that Aguilar is the favorite due to the experience factor from his time at Appalachian State, but Merklinger, who is entering his second season in Josh Heupel's offense, is a sneaky bet to win this quarterback battle.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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