Josh Heupel addresses Tennessee transfer portal plans at QB, upcoming competition

During a rather lengthy and newsworthy press conference following Saturday’s Orange-White Spring game, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel was candid and forthright about Friday’s stunning breakup with redshirt sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

Amid ongoing negotiations toward a new NIL deal, Iamaleava went radio silent Friday and skipped out on Tennessee’s final spring practice before both sides opted to part ways just days before the spring transfer portal opens Wednesday, April 16. Now, with Iamaleava expected to officially enter the portal next week, Heupel admitted the Volunteers will look to replace him with another arm out of the portal.

“At any time, your roster has the opportunity to change, that’s in December, that’s in the spring, right?” Heupel said Saturday. “As we go through the process, always evaluating what you have on your roster, where you’re vulnerable, where numbers might not be right (due to) injuries or whatever, and you’re trying to get your roster where it needs to be to give yourself the best chance when you get to kickoff in the fall.

“And certainly, with only two scholarship players at the quarterback position, we’re going to have to find another guy.”

Those two remaining scholarship quarterbacks are redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and true freshman George MacIntyre, neither of whom were likely entertaining the idea of competing for the Vols’ starting job entering last week.

The 6-foot-3 Merklinger signed with Tennessee as a four-start recruit out of Calvary Day in Savannah, Ga., where he was the the 12th-best quarterback and No. 201 overall prospect in the 2023 class according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

The 6-foot-6 MacIntyre was a four-star signee out of Brentwood Academy in Nashville (Tenn.), where he was the 15th-rated quarterback and No. 192 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, per the On3 Industry Ranking.

Tennessee freshman QB George MacIntyre kicks off spring game by launching impressive TD pass

Tennessee freshman quarterback George MacIntyre did his part to help ease the pain of divorce by launching touchdown passes during the Volunteers’ Spring Game on Saturday.

While MacIntyre likely didn’t expect to be competing for the starting job so soon into his Tennessee tenure, much has changed for over the past few days, and he seized the opportunity, it seems.

Tennessee true freshman QB George MacIntyre dropped a dime in the end zone at the Vols' spring game🍊

(via @VolFan_Cam)pic.twitter.com/VzKAbp6DLE

— On3 (@On3sports) April 12, 2025

Perhaps the hype is real with MacIntyre, and the timing couldn’t be better. Of course, whether MacIntyre will be the one to lead the Vols out of the tunnel in the Fall is yet to be seen, though the freshman is certainly confident in the players around him.

“Every year, they’ve gotten better and a little more talented,” MacIntyre said regarding Tennessee, speaking with On3 in June. “I think this year will probably be the most talented team that coach Heupel’s had at Tennessee. Every year, he has to build off that and keep getting better and better.

“I see coach Heupel taking us to the promised land. We’ve been in a championship drought for a while and if anyone is the person to break it, I think it’s him.”

— On3’s Steve Samra contributed to this report.