Tennessee Volunteers football fans have been waiting a long time for their program to get back into the national championship conversation. Head coach Josh Heupel finally broke through with a College Football Playoff appearance last season. However, Heupel and the Volunteers were dealt a heavy blow last week when quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s departure rocked the college football landscape. Iamaleava’s decision to hold out for a better NIL deal led Heupel to decide to part ways with the former five-star quarterback and now Tennessee will be in the market for help in the college football transfer portal.
Iamaleava leaving frees up significant resources for the Volunteers to acquire an established starting quarterback in the portal, but Tennessee also has two scholarship freshmen on the Tennessee football roster and a commitment from Class of 2026 five-star Faizon Brandon. So what is the plan at quarterback for Heupel moving forward and who are the top Tennessee QB transfer targets? If you want the latest Tennessee football news, be sure to see what the proven team of insiders are saying at GoVols247, the 247Sports affiliate that covers the Tennessee Volunteers.
The GoVols247 insiders are providing on-the-ground updates on every development in the Tennessee football program, including insights from Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Ben McKee, who have deep-rooted ties inside the Tennessee Vols community. Get all the inside scoop on the football program, plus VIP intel on Tennessee football, basketball, recruiting and more. Plus get access to the Irish Illustrated message boards where you can connect with other Tennessee fans and insiders. Get it all right here.
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Tennessee football roster news
Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre were both four-star prospects coming out of high school and Heupel is expecting both to battle for the starting role in the fall. However, he also acknowledged that adding a quarterback in the college football transfer portal was a must to add depth and liven up the competition.
Faizon Brandon will also factor into the starting quarterback conversation in 2026, but there’s still potential for Heupel to add a quarterback with starting experience to serve as a bridge to the No. 1 overall recruit in the 247Sports recruiting rankings. Finding a player with one remaining season of eligibility to compete with Merklinger and MacIntyre might help Tennessee avoid scaring Brandon off.
The top quarterbacks currently available according to the 247Sports transfer rankings are former Georgia QB Jaden Rashada, Aidan Glover from Missouri and James Resar from Iowa. However, the potential to compete for a starting role on a College Football Playoff team from a season ago might entice some bigger names into the transfer portal when it opens on April 16. Get more Tennessee football roster updates at GoVols247.
How to get insider Tennessee football updates
The GoVols247 team is bringing up-to-the minute updates on the latest transfer portal targets at quarterback, staff news and 2026 football recruiting. You can only get it all at GoVols247.
What will the 2025 Tennessee football roster look like, and what shocking offseason moves are in store for the Volunteers after Iamaleava’s decision to leave? Go to Irish Illustrated to get all the latest Tennessee football news, all from a team of dialed-in insiders, and find out.
And reminder, GoVols247 is offering 50% off an annual VIP membership, so subscribe now before it’s too late.
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