Just days after the stunning exit of redshirt sophomore Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee’s head coach Josh Heupel confirmed what everyone assumed: the Vols are officially in the market for a quarterback from the spring transfer portal.
If you’re just catching up, here’s the quick recap: Iamaleava became a holdout on a new NIL deal, and he didn't like Tennessee's answer of "no." According to multiple outlets, he went radio silent on Friday, missing the final spring practice. That was the breaking point. Tennessee and Iamaleava parted ways, with the QB expected to officially enter the portal on April 16, the first day of the spring window.
Things got even wilder when a so-called “hot board” of potential portal QBs began making the rounds online, naming players who aren’t even in the portal. And yeah, that’s tampering. But this is college football in 2025. The line between interest and tampering is blurrier than ever.
Tennessee’s QB room is thin
Right now, Tennessee is down to just two scholarship quarterbacks—redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and early enrollee George MacIntyre. Neither one was expected to compete for the starting job this fall… until now.
“We’re going to have to find another guy,” Heupel said. “You’re always evaluating your roster—injuries, departures, whatever the case may be. Right now, we’ve got two scholarship quarterbacks. That’s not going to cut it.”
That statement came just hours after MacIntyre had a couple of touchdown passes during the Vols’ Orange and White Spring Game, giving fans something to get excited about amid the chaos. But still—MacIntyre’s a true freshman. Merklinger, while talented, is unproven. You don’t want to head into the gauntlet of SEC play relying entirely on youth at the most important position in the sport.
Tennessee QB Hot Board 1.0
Now let’s talk about the internet’s favorite new toy: the “Tennessee Portal QB Hot Board – Version 1.0.” It started as a joke on social media but quickly blew up, especially when fan-favorite Twitter accounts began adding to the madness. The list included names like Sam Leavitt, Brendan Sullivan, Haynes King, and Avery Johnson..
#Tennessee Portal QB Hot Board Version 1.0: pic.twitter.com/UbrtMPT61t
— Message Board Geniuses (@BoardGeniuses) April 12, 2025
Let’s be clear—none of these guys are in the portal. Yet.
But in today’s college football world, interest alone is often enough to create momentum. Fans are sharing clips, tweeting memes, and even tagging quarterbacks asking if they’d “consider Rocky Top.” The whole thing has taken on a life of its own.
Will any of these quarterbacks end up leaving their program to come to Tennessee? Likely not, but a potential $2 million — or more — payday might be enough to attract them.