The show goes on. Right now, Nico Iamaleava is dominating the headlines for the Tennessee football team, as he has decided he'll be entering the transfer portal. Just like that, the former 5-star signee will be looking for a new place to call home.
There's still business to take care of on Saturday for the Vols, though, as the annual spring game is here and plenty of fans are fired up to pack Neyland Stadium and remind this team that support for the program isn't going to change just because Nico is out of town.
Having said that, who will be QB1 for the day? That honor will go to Jake Merklinger, a second-year signal-caller for Tennessee. In addition to Merklinger, true freshman George MacIntyre will also be ready to make some plays, as he and Merklinger are the only two scholarship QBs currently on the roster.
Jake Merklinger now has countless eyes on him among the Tennessee football fanbase
Sure, the Iamaleava news is disappointing, but the Tennessee faithful as a whole is ready to back Josh Huepel - you've got to know he's got a plan for moving forward. It starts with Merklinger on Saturday, who is going to immediately be thrown into things.
The Georgia product signed with Tennessee in 2024 ranked four stars and the No. 11 quarterback in the country for his class. He had a boatload of offers, but Heupel and Co. were able to win the massive recruiting battle.
Oh, he can also throw the ball all over the field. His senior season (he was a four-year starter), Merklinger threw for 3,028 passing yards and 38 touchdowns. He only tossed two interceptions too, which is equally impressive. Yes, he's not at superstar status yet like Iamaleava, but the potential is there for the youngster to turn heads. It will all begin at the spring game too.