Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel has confirmed that there will be a three-way quarterback competition for the Volunteers starting spot ahead of the 2025 college football season.

Due to the controversial departure of starting QB Nico Iamaleava to UCLA following a dispute over NIL compensation, Heupel conceded that Joey Aguilar, Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre will battle it out for vacancy at the Vols fall camp.

“We have three guys inside that room [and] I am really proud of what they have done,” Heupel said at the 2025 SEC Media Days in Atlanta. “Joey, since he got here in May; Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre and what those two guys have done since they have been on campus… I am really proud of the steps they have taken through the summer in developing a relationship and rapport with the guys around them.

“Their ability to compete in a positive way with each other in the meeting room and on the field, and their ability to have leadership traits and continue to grow in that [make me] really excited about getting on the field with those guys. We are going to find a way to win with the guy that earns the starting spot as we go through training camp in August.”

Of the three quarterbacks, Aguilar has the most experience, having spent two years at Appalachian State before transferring to UCLA and subsequently making the decision in the same offseason to move to Tennessee after Iamaleava’s transfer to the Bruins. In his two years at App State, he recorded 6,760 yards and 56 touchdowns, stats and experience that, for many, would see him as the frontrunner in this competition.

However, Aguilar will have to duke it out against redshirt freshman Merklinger, who threw for 48 yards from six completions in 2024, and freshman MacIntyre, a four-star recruit who was rated as one of the top QB prospects from the 2025 class and a top ten player in the state of Tennessee. Merklinger and MacIntyre, whilst much less experienced than Aguilar, will have the advantage of already being familiar with Heupel’s system.

The head coach appears to be impressed with Aguilar’s leadership qualities and the way he carries himself on campus, however.

“I think when you’re coming in, how you present yourself every single day — that’s in the building and outside of it — is going to be the perception, certainly early on, of how the players perceive you,” he continued. “And for him to come in, be about his work, continue to grow, like the first week he was here with all of our guys, offensive linemen, taking them out to dinner, those types of things, those are little steps in developing a relationship with guys where you can eventually lead them. And all three of those guys, Merk and George, have continued to do a great job of that as well. But I certainly respect what Joey has done since he got here on campus.”

These qualities have also rubbed off positively on other players, including DT Bryson Eason, who was representing the Vols at the media event:

“[He’s] just trying to step in and be a leader, gaining guys’ trust around the building, showing he’s here for the team no matter what happens,” Eason said per Najeh Wilkins. “Just be a good guy and be one of those dudes to be there for the younger guys and help them along as they start their college journey.”

However it plays out, expect some drama in Knoxville as Heupel and the Vols look to determine the anchor of their offense and give themselves the best opportunity to be competitive in a conference packed with playoff contenders.