Redshirt freshman George MacIntyre is quietly positioning himself as one of Tennessee football’s biggest winners this offseason. Josh Heupel made it a priority to get Sam Leavitt out of the Transfer portal, but he missed, and we still don't know if Joey Aguilar will be back, but it feels unlikely.
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Now, it's no guarantee that MacIntyre ends up being QB1 for Tennessee next fall. He still has to beat out 5-star true freshman Faizon Brandon, who has all the potential in the world, but MacIntyre does have a leg up, being in Knoxville for an extra year practicing and learning the Heupel offense.
While MacIntyre saw limited mop-up duty as a true freshman, he made the most of his opportunities last fall, going 7-for-9 for 69 yards. In the game against ETSU, he looked confident running Tennessee’s RPO system. He also showed off his athleticism by evading defenders and delivering accurate throws on the run.
Hiring Derek Owings could greatly benefit MacIntyre
One of the biggest, if not the biggest, knocks on George MacIntyre is his physical development. He has an extremely long, thin frame, as Tennessee's official roster has the young quarterback listed at 6-foot-6 and 195 pounds. Adding some muscle this offseason will be key for MacIntyre if he's going to be the starter next year. The SEC is a grueling physical league, and he has to be able to take hits.
Derek Owings, Tennessee's new strength coach, who they just hired from Indiana, will have his work cut out for him getting MacIntyre ready. However, Owings is considered one of the best in the business, as he played a pivotal role in preparing the Hoosiers for the 2025 season, when they eventually won the College Football Playoff. With that said, Owings’ hire should pay off next fall, helping MacIntyre become bigger, faster, and stronger.
You can’t help but feel like MacIntyre is in the driver's seat to be the starter week one versus Furman in September. Ultimately, there is plenty of time to get it sorted out, but he is emerging as the early favorite to be QB1.