Tennessee Reportedly Hiring Former Oklahoma Quarterback As Offensive Analyst

Josh Heupel is bringing a familiar name to Rocky Top.

Former Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones is joining the Tennessee football staff as an offensive analyst, according to a report from VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs on Wednesday night.

Jones played at Oklahoma from 2009 to 2012, racking up more than 16,000 passing yards in a four-year span for the Sooners. Heupel, entering his fifth season at Tennessee in 2025, was the Sooners’ quarterbacks coach all four years and also served as Jones’ offensive coordinator in 2011 and 2012.

Heupel remained with Oklahoma for two more seasons while Jones began a seven-year journey in the NFL with a fourth-round draft selection in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Jones also has familiarity with Tennessee offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle, who served as a quality control coach from 2009 to 2011 and a grad assistant with the Sooners from 2012 to 2014. Halzle and Jones quickly crossed paths in the Sooners’ quarterback room as players, as well.

Jones, a native of Artesia, New Mexico, threw for 16,646 yards, 123 touchdowns, and 52 interceptions in four years with the Sooners. Jones also led the Sooners to Big 12 titles in 2010 and 2012.

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Tennessee had a spot to fill, too.

Jones will replace McKenzie Milton, who has held an offensive analyst position with Tennessee since May 2023. Milton announced in December that he will return to his alma mater by joining Scott Frost’s staff at Central Florida in 2025 as the Knights’ quarterbacks coach.

Considering Milton played quarterback for Heupel during his days at UCF, the Tennessee coach looks to be replacing one of his former quarterback greats with another.

Jones was drafted by Pittsburgh in 2013 and spent seven seasons in the NFL as a backup quarterback with the Steelers, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Oakland Raiders. Jones kept his football career going by signing to the XFL where he reunited with former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops with the Dallas Renegades for one season in 2020.

Landry Jones has not been in the coaching world prior to his role at Tennessee.

Jones will have a good crop of young players to help mold while on Rocky Top.

In addition to starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava in his third year with the program, Jones will also have the chance to work with rising redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and incoming true freshman George MacIntyre. And if all things stand as they are, Jones will also work with superstar Tennessee quarterback commit Faizon Brandon from the 2026 recruiting class.