Tennessee football is still looking for a quarterback in the spring transfer portal after former quarterback Nico Iamaleava ditched practice, forcing Josh Heupel and the Vols to move on from the former five-star quarterback.
Rumors have been swirling about who Tennessee could possibly land out of the portal as its next quarterback, but the Vols haven't had much luck so far.
ESPN reporters Pete Thamel and Max Olson have confirmed that their quarterback search has begun, but they have not had much luck.
"So far, Tennessee has appeared to have little luck in its search for talent," noted ESPN's Thamel and Olson on Tuesday. "Sources told ESPN that at least one starting quarterback has received a raise thanks to an inquiry his agent received from Tennessee. Expect the agents of nearly every established starter in the ACC, Big Ten, and Big 12 to get a call."
The quarterback market is not necessarily booming right now. Much of that has to do with minimal quarterback movement, and few are interested in moving in the spring portal with little time to acclimate to a new team, roster, and playbook.
"This is a terrible time," said an industry source familiar with the quarterback market, with observations applying to both the quarterback and Tennessee. "You are setting yourself up to fail. You are so late. You get no spring ball, all new wide receivers, and a new system. The kids being paid a lot of money are already in the system, or they are four months into it."......"I feel 100% confident that we have nothing to worry about," one general manager of a Big 12 program said, "but how do you ever truly know?"
This has led to the Vols facing a significant challenge in gauging interest from potential quarterbacks in the market to move or receive an NIL raise.
The market also has limited quarterback-led movement, as Nico Iamaleava is witnessing. The former Vols quarterback has received minimal interest in the market.
Tennessee has a little more time to figure out its quarterback situation, whether it adds a big-name quarterback or a depth piece and rides it out with Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre.