One of the least surprising moves this Transfer Portal cycle was when Tennesse lost Jake Merklinger to the portal. Josh Heupel seemed to like Merklinger and had some nice, respectful comments about him in the Music City Bowl media sessions, but it seemed like it was made clear that Merklinger wasn't going to be the starter next fall. The staff seems to prefer George MacIntyre instead, who flashed in minimal action last year as a true freshman.
George MacIntyre strengthens bid to be Tennessee’s starting QB during Miami trip with WR group
Merklinger still has three years of eligibility and was a former 4-star recruit, so there is still a lot to like about the young signal caller. Last year for the Vols, he was 13-24 with 173 yards and two touchdowns. The only three teams he faced were Eastern Tennessee State, UAB, and New Mexico State.
Merklinger posted on X Thursday morning that he has committed to UCONN.
Let’s Go! @UConnFootball pic.twitter.com/5nQ4aziEed
— Jake Merklinger (@JakeMerklinger) January 15, 2026
Jake Merklinger is gone
This is a nice pickup for the Huskies. Jason Candle did a solid job at Toledo and is a good offensive mind. Merklinger, joining a new coaching staff, has an opportunity to compete for the starting job and build something in Connecticut. Tennessee fans were sad to see him go, but understood that he wanted a chance to be the QB1.
Josh Heupel is now in a sticky situation, as Tennessee will have George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon on the roster next fall. He needs to bring in a veteran quarterback to either start or find a guy willing to be a backup. The starting situation is still up in the air, but the more time goes by, the more it looks like it will be a competition between MacIntyre and Brandon. Nevertheless, Heupel still needs to add another scholarship signal-caller to the roster.
Tennessee has lost nearly 30 players to the portal and has only brought in 12 so far, so the staff has some work to do.