Josh Heupel looking for specific traits in starting quarterback  

ATLANTA — In case you weren’t aware, Tennessee will have a quarterback competition when fall practice kicks off in about two weeks. It will be the first time in four off-seasons the starting quarterback job is up for grabs for Josh Heupel’s Tennessee Volunteers.

We know why the Vols are in this spot as Nico Iamaleava and Tennessee parted ways on the final day of spring practice in mid-April. In comes Joey Aguilar from UCLA (after transferring from Appalachian State in December) to compete with redshirt-sophomore Jake Merklinger and true freshman George MacIntyre.

So, what is Heupel and staff looking for in a starting quarterback? He broke down a few of those boxes that need to be checked on Tuesday while speaking with the SEC Network crew. 

“We got two-prong checks, play-to-play, right? You got run-to-pass, pass-to-run. You got run checks where it’s just run one direction or style to another. Then you have the tempo, you got the RPO game,” Heupel explained. “All the protections that you got to master and how much you trust your quarterback in some of those protection situations is a part of the nuances of – you have a framework of how you want to play as an offense, but then how do you put your guys in the best position to be success?”

Heupel hit the jackpot with Hendon Hooker at Tennessee. Joe Milton and Nico Iamalaeava had success at times in their tenures. Dillion Gabriel, Drew Lock and other quarterbacks have also flourished in this system under Heupel.   

“I think the great thing about the quarterback position is that we’ve had a lot of guys that have played at an elite level and they all get to paint it a little bit different in who they are,” the coach said. “That’s the artistry of playing that position and playing high level offensive football. So, I’m excited about it.”

As the expected returning starter, Iamaleava took the bulk of the first-team reps in spring practice. Merklinger returns as the most experienced signal-caller in the system, though there’s not a lot of game day experience to date. MacIntyre is a true freshman and Aguilar has years of experience, though not in this system or at this level.   

Making the right call on who QB1 will be is obviously important, but it needs to be clear for everyone in the locker room as well.

“It matters to your offensive players, but your defensive guys, that’s the guy and they trust in him and it’s going to pay dividends throughout the course of the season,” Heupel noted. “So, that’s the reason we handle it the way that we do. We don’t have a set timeline. Somebody’s got to go take it, learn it, earn it and take a job. We’ll practice in a way where they get a chance to truly compete for it.”

Tennessee begins fall camp practice on July 30 and will begin play right back in Altana at the Aflac Kickoff Classic against Syracuse on August 30. From now until then, the dominating story revolving around Tennessee football will be about the quarterbacks, as it should be.  

“You got to have complete control and command of what we’re doing offensively. You have the ball in your hands on every play. You have to be able to take care of it,” Heupel said of his quarterback. “And being a smart player in the scope of what we do, that can be the tempo, it can be RPO game, it can be run checks, loaded box pass checks, whatever it might be. You got to have great command of what we’re doing. And once you have that, the non-traits that you’re going to see on the field, the leadership, the connection with your teammates, the trust that you’ve gained from them, all of those go into a part of how we become the best team that we can be when we get to kickoff.”

And despite the timeliness of the shakeup at the quarterback position, it’s also been a chance for the team to grow closer together.

“It’s a unique timeline as far as when things happen, but through any adversity, you also have great opportunity and I’m looking for it,” Heupel concluded. “I think our football team has handled it extremely and I’m looking forward to going and competing with these guys.”

Tennessee reached the College Football Playoff for the first time last season and have won at least 10 games in two of Heupel’s first four seasons at the helm.