All offseason, Tennessee football fans have been asking Josh Heupel to go out and find a starting quarterback via the Transfer Portal, but maybe their guy is sitting right here in Knoxville? It would be beneficial if Heupel did find a one-year veteran to let the young, talented quarterbacks develop, but maybe it's not needed. George MacIntyre might be ready to take over.
Tennessee emerges as major contender for highly-sought former 5-star Ohio State CB
Joey Aguilar is technically out of eligibility, and with no update on the lawsuit, things aren’t trending in a positive direction. The Vols have a pair of young quarterbacks, George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon, who the fan base is very high on. MacIntyre is an in-state player from Brentwood, Tennessee, and was the No. 151 player in the 2025 class, according to the 247Sports composite.
MacIntyre is sending a message that he wants to be the guy next fall, and he’s grinding to make that happen. Vols fans are gonna love this, as a picture is surfacing on social media of redshirt freshman signal-caller MacIntyre building rapport with the Tennessee wide receiving corps in Miami.
Tennessee QB George MacIntyre with
— Rocky Top (@Rockytop) January 14, 2026
WRs Travis Smith, Braylon Staley, Mike Matthews and Joakim Dodson
In Miami🎯 pic.twitter.com/GtpMFKRT5Y
George MacIntyre has a case for QB1
MacIntyre is your prototypical big-armed pocket passer. Standing tall at 6-foot-6, he still needs to add some strength to be able to handle the 12-week grind of the SEC, but he has all the tools one could want in a quarterback. He has good mechanics and has the ability to make all of the throws needed in the Heupel offense.
There is no question that he is good enough physically, but does he have the scheme down well enough mentally? MacIntyre did have a minor interception problem in high school, but with film work and good coaching, he will be fine. Plus, Josh Heupel runs a very quarterback-friendly offense.
Maybe missing out on Sam Leavitt isn't the worst thing ever. If MacIntyre is ready, and the staff is confident enough in playing him, why not try it? He looked good in mop-up duty as a true freshman, but that doesn't hold a ton of weight.
MacIntyre will grow with Braylon Staley, Tristen Keys, Ethan Davis, and DeSean Bishop in 2026, and in 2027, the Vols will be locked and loaded. Is it likely the Vols make the playoffs with a redshirt freshman? Probably not, but if it drastically improves their chances in the future, the payoff is worth it.
Josh Heupel has a lot of decisions to make and not a lot of time. The more time that goes by, the more likely it is that George MacIntyre is the signal-caller in week one.