The biggest question mark for Tennessee football is still the quarterback position. We still have no update on Joey Aguilar's pending lawsuit, and Tennessee has only brought in one quarterback, former Arizona State Sun Devil Sam Leavitt.
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Leavitt just got done with a multi-day visit to Tennessee. It was supposed to last only one day, but Leavitt stayed another, presumably a great sign for Tennessee. Post visit, Tennessee has received some not-so-great news regarding Leavitt.
ESPN's Pete Thamel is reporting that Sam Leavitt is on his way to Miami to visit with Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes.
Per an ESPN source, former ASU QB Sam Leavitt is headed to Miami on a visit later today. He's been to Kentucky, LSU and Tennessee already. Hurricanes are up next. pic.twitter.com/ThGe9kBbqS
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 9, 2026
Sam Leavitt is now visiting Miami
Mario Cristoball has been on a hot sreak as of recent. Miami is now playing in the national title, after an instant classic win over Ole Miss. The Miami program is going to be very enticing for Leavitt, as Carson Beck is gone, and they need a reliable option to fill in next year. Not to mention, the pockets run deep in Coral Gables.
Many fans believed that once the visit was extended, Heupel would close the deal. That hasn’t been the case, though, as Leavitt is still weighing all of his options. It’s unclear whether Leavitt is searching for a bigger NIL offer or simply a better fit, but Tennessee is far from out of this race. That said, things just got a lot tougher.
The biggest concern is where Tennessee pivots if it doesn't land Leavitt. Tennessee has no update on Aguilar, and with no news, that seems like bad news in this instance. Many of the top portal quarterbacks, like Josh Hoover, Brendan Sorsby, and DJ Lagway, have all committed somewhere else.
George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon are both great long-term options for Tennessee. I'm just not sure if either is the best option in 2026. Make no mistake, if Tennessee makes it 100% known they are looking for a QB1, plenty of good options should come knocking. Heupel has one of the most quarterback-friendly offenses in the nation.
But it's hard to ignore the fact that many of the top quarterback options are gone, and by the time Tennessee really starts looking, it could be too late.