Tennessee backup quarterback Gaston Moore entered the transfer portal on Thursday morning after spending four years inside the Vols’ program and one season as their backup.
Moore played in mop up duty of three games and played meaningful snaps in two games including the entire second half in Tennessee’s win over Mississippi State.
So what does Tennessee’s quarterback room look like without Moore?
Starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava is back for his redshirt sophomore season and his second year as Tennessee’s starting quarterback. The former five-star recruit had an up-and-down first year as Tennessee’s starter but got better as the year progressed and ended up completing 63.8% of his passes for 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Iamaleava also proved to be a true dual threat quarterback and finished third on Tennessee’s roster with 358 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.
Jake Merklinger enters the offseason as the favorite to be Iamaleava’s backup quarterback in 2025. A former four-star recruit, Merklinger redshirted while serving as Tennessee’s third string quarterback this season.
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The 6-foot-3 quarterback played in two games during his inaugural collegiate season, completing six-of-nine passes for 49 yards in Tennessee’s wins over Chattanooga and Kent State.
While Merklinger is the early favorite to be Iamaleava’s backup, there will be plenty of competition at that spot. Incoming freshman George MacIntyre will compete with Merklinger for the backup job and have chances to earn that spot.
A 6-foot-5 signal caller, MacIntyre ranked as a four-star recruit and the No. 86 player in the country in the 2025 recruiting cycle according to the 247sports composite rankings. A Brentwood Academy standout, MacIntyre ranked as the top player in the state of Tennessee and committed to the Vols over Alabama.
Merklinger has the advantage of having already spent a season at Tennessee learning Heupel’s offense. However, MacIntyre is early enrolling in January and already went through practices in preparation for the College Football Playoffs.
Behind those three signal callers, Tennessee’s quarterback situation is very uncertain. Walk-on Navy Shuler is out of eligibility while walk-on Ryan Damron entered the transfer portal earlier this month.
