What’s next for Tennessee? Josh Heupel addresses Nico Iamaleava, future at QB after Volunteers’ spring game

The dispute between Tennessee and quarterback Nico Iamaleava reached a boiling point on Saturday morning when the two sides chose to go their separate ways. Following the Volunteers spring game on Saturday afternoon, Heupel addressed Iamaleava’s departure and assessed his options at quarterback.

Whether the quarterback solution is already on the roster or in the transfer portal, the Volunteers have a few to choose from over the next few months, and the spring game was an opportunity for Heupel to look at two of them.

Tennessee held its spring game just hours after Iamaleava was removed from the roster, and redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger got the first reps alongside wide receivers Mike Matthews, Braylon Staley and Trey Weary.

Merklinger was Tennessee’s third-string quarterback last season, behind Iamaleava and Gaston Moore. He saw limited playing time in two appearances, completing 6 of 9 pass attempts for 48 yards.

Merklinger got off to a shaky start in the spring game, but recovered for some nice throws, including a long touchdown pass to star wideout Mike Matthews.

Merklinger was a four-star recruit in Tennessee’s 2024 signing class and the No. 12 quarterback in that cycle, according to 247Sports. The Calvary Day School (Georgia) product chose the Vols with other programs like Georgia, North Carolina, Louisville and NC State expressing interest in him.

Saturday afternoon’s spring game was the first real opportunity for early enrollee George MacIntyre to show off his skills in anything resembling a game setting. Despite his lack of experience, MacIntyre arrived in Knoxville as a highly-touted prospect.

Like Merklinger, MacIntyre had his ups and downs, but he also showed flashes of his high upside while throwing for a few scores. One of those highlights came when he connected with fellow freshman Radarious Jackson for a long score.

An in-state product out of Brentwood Academy, MacIntyre was a four-star recruit and the No. 17 quarterback in the 2025 signing class, according to the 247Sports rankings. He chose the Vols over LSU, Michigan, Alabama and Clemson.

Merklinger and MacIntyre give Tennessee a pair of talented young quarterbacks with nice upside, but both players are still quite young, so the Volunteers may dip into the NCAA Transfer Portal to find an experienced starter for 2025. 

Due of the timing of Iamaleava’s departure, the team’s options are somewhat limited. The SEC doesn’t allow players to transfer within the conference during the spring window.

In addition to Merklinger and MacIntyre, Tennessee also has a commitment from 2026 recruit Faizon Brandon, 247Sports’ No. 1 overall player in that class. While the future looks bright, the Vols are most likely seeking a bridge quarterback for 2025.

In his post-spring press conference, Heupel spoke about Iamaleava’s departure, the performance of his two remaining quarterbacks and the possibility of dipping into the transfer portal next week.

Everything Heupel said about Nico Iamaleava, his QB situation

Opening statement

“Today’s landscape of college football is different than what it has been. It’s unfortunate, just the situation and where we’re at with Nico. I want to thank him for everything he’s done since he’s gotten here, from a recruit to where he was as a player and how he competed inside the building. Great appreciation for that side of it. Obviously, we’re moving forward as a program without him. I said it to the guys today. There’s no one that’s bigger than the Power T, and that includes me. They hear me say that a lot inside that team room. This program has been around a long time with a lot of great coaches and great players who laid the cornerstone pieces for the tradition that is Tennessee football. It’s gonna be around a long time after I’m done and after they’re gone.

“That’s what’s special about being here is that there is a legacy and a tradition that is so rich. A logo that’s recognized not just across the nation, but across the world too. Today, you got to see 110 guys that ran out and competed their butts off for Tennessee, doing it the right way. Really proud of the spring that they’ve had, but also how they culminated it as well. Excited about where we’re at right now, and there’s a lot of work for this team to continue to grow to have the ability to chase the things they want in the fall. We’re where we need to be as well.

“Our coaches and staff, guys that have been here the last four years, have rebuilt this program. It’s built to win. I say that as we move forward from today too. This program is ready to go win next fall. As a program, since we’ve been here, we’ve won with a lot of different QBs. I’ve done it historically, in my career, with a lot of different QBs. Some of them have been younger. Some of them have been older. We’ll have a quarterback that’s ready to go win and help us compete for a championship.”

On the timing of Iamaleava’s departure

“If it’s gonna happen, rip the band-aid. We’ve got a lot of great work from the two guys that are here, and we’ve got the chance to move forward as a program. It’s unfortunate, in the landscape of college football, that this happens at this point. … If it’s gonna happen, and sometimes it happens through injury in game five or game six. I’ve had it in my career where we lost a starting quarterback before we started training camp — the day of the start of training camp. At the end of the day, this is the greatest team game there is. That group that lost him on day one, they rallied together. Adversity, when it strikes, you’ve got two choices. It can bring you together or divide you. That group came together and ultimately went on to win a conference championship that year. This group, inside that locker room, they’re tough. They’re competitive. They care about each other. We gotta grow together.”

On his dealings with Iamaleava’s camp over the last 72 hours

“Wednesday was a practice day. Thursday, our players were off. Friday was the first time we were back in the building as a team. That was the structure of the week in the lead-up to the spring game, giving those guys a day off. I’m not gonna get into the details of everything and the timing of that. That’s just in the fairness of both parties. He’s moving on. We’re moving on too. We’ll be ready to roll when we get to next fall.”

On when it became apparent Tennessee would part ways with Iamaleava

“Friday morning when he was a no-show. You come off the practice field and there’s no communication.”

On how the team rallied around the situation

“Our team needs to handle it with maturity too. Our players have an appreciation for Nico and what he’s done since he’s been here, like I said at the beginning of the press conference. At the end of the day, everybody in college football is dealing with this as the portal opens up here this week. At the end of the day, it’s my responsibility and our staff’s responsibility to find 105 guys who are going to give their all for Tennessee day in and day out, certainly on gameday too. We’re gonna go do that.”

On the support he and his program have received from those outside the program

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Vol Nation rallies around this group of players and this program. I have been here long enough and seen enough things happen that it’s why I consider it the greatest fan base in college sports, not just college football. I haven’t paid attention to social media at this point. Gonna try to stay off it for a while here too.”

On what he would change about college football to prevent these situations

“Man, I feel like you guys have dinner plans, and I feel like we don’t have long enough to get through everything and all the changes I and probably most of the coaches would want in college football. It’s like gameday. You gotta be ready to move onto the next play. That’s my responsibility in leading this program. It’s our players’ responsibility too.”

On the possibility of landing a starting QB in the transfer portal

“Anytime your roster has the opportunity to change, that’s in December or the spring, as you go through the process you’re always evaluating what you have on your roster. Where you’re, I don’t want to say vulnerable, but where numbers might not be right. Injuries or whatever. You’re trying to get your roster to where you give yourself the best chance to compete when you get to kickoff in the fall. Certainly, with only two scholarship players at the position, we’re gonna have to get another guy.”

On whether he’s had any communication with Iamaleava since he left

“I have not.”

On the team’s policy about players not showing up, communicating

“At the end of the day, just in a leadership position, you have standards of who you need to be inside the building and out of it. At the same time, every individual is a little bit different. In leadership, I’ve learned to keep a cool head and also understand the dynamics of all situations, family and everything.”

On his passion for coaching despite college football’s issues

“What happens outside the game has changed in some ways, but the game hasn’t changed. You gotta be tough, smart and physical. You gotta play extremely hard. You gotta have fundamentals and technique. I choose to coach college football because I love dealing with 18- to 22-year-olds most of the time. I love the pageantry of college football. The NFL is different, not in a bad way, it’s just different.

“I love the growth of young people, taking somebody that shows up from different backgrounds and helping them grow in their maturity as a man and how that helps them grow as a football player too. It’s a chance to be in the middle of a journey of a man or a player, as opposed to being on the back end or the destination point. I love so much about this game and this time frame. The best part of my day is when they show up everyday. When you have a staff like mine is, that’s selfless and cares about the people around them, man. I don’t consider it work. I get to go compete and try to be our best every single day. It’s awesome walking in there.”

On the frustrations with the business side of college sports

“Well, that’s the part that’s changed for sure. It’s a part of this game at this point in every job anyone has. Not 100% of it is exactly what you want. At the same time, I can understand the players’ perspective too, having played the game too. There’s some benefits to it too.”

On the play of Merklinger and MacIntyre

“I thought they did a really good job today, for the most part. Obviously, Merk had the one pick on the double move where the safety is a player in the middle of the field. For the most part, they handled the operation pretty well. There’s a couple checks we can clean up, just on the operations side of it and the ultimate check. But they moved the football and made plays. Thought they used their feet. Obviously, we weren’t live. They’re gonna have to use their feet out in space. It was a great day for both of them being young players in front of that crowd having to be they guy and go operate.”

On his message to Merklinger and MacIntyre

“Go have fun and compete today. It’s not gonna be perfect, never will be. Same thing I said to the team. There’s a way that you’ve got to operate from the snap to the whistle. Then you gotta learn how to operate from the whistle to the snap too. Thought those guys did a good job.”