Jake Merklinger

#2
#2
aseagroves said:
Does Merklinger hit the portal in a year or two? I think he has all the potential in the world to be a starting QB for someone I just don’t know if it’s us. With MacIntyre coming in and Faizon a year after that I don’t see Merklinger sticking around.
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I guess we’ll see.

I think he’s plenty good enough to keep this train rolling.

Good problem to have.
 
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#4
#4
aseagroves said:
Does Merklinger hit the portal in a year or two? I think he has all the potential in the world to be a starting QB for someone I just don’t know if it’s us. With MacIntyre coming in and Faizon a year after that I don’t see Merklinger sticking around.
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Who knows but he will be QB2 next year, would be the frontrunner to start the following year if Nico leaves. All gets down to competition.
 
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#5
#5
I never would have thought Gaston Moore would be a #2 but, credit to the young man, he has worked his tail off and earned the spot.

Some high profile kids transfer for playing time; I don't blame them - they are only young enough to play the game for a short time. Others, well, they commit to a program as lesser known recruits and work and develop and see good things happen over time. See, for example, Josh Heupel at OU, Stetson Bennett at UGA.

I want my kids to be happy. Life is short. Whatever makes Merk happy as a player, I support his decision to do it.
(But, I will only actively root for him as a Vol! That is what makes ME happy. :) )
 
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#6
#6
He's here now and that's all that matters. Let the cards fall where they may.

I can tell you that despite G-Mac and Brandon being more highly rated, he'll have 2 years in this system once Nico is gone. And he will be the unequivocal #2 behind Nico next year. I wouldn't just assume Merklinger will be the one leaving.
 
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#9
#9
Ritzwatch said:
I never would have thought Gaston Moore would be a #2 but, credit to the young man, he has worked his tail off and earned the spot.

Some high profile kids transfer for playing time; I don't blame them - they are only young enough to play the game for a short time. Others, well, they commit to a program as lesser known recruits and work and develop and see good things happen over time. See, for example, Josh Heupel at OU, Stetson Bennett at UGA.

I want my kids to be happy. Life is short. Whatever makes Merk happy as a player, I support his decision to do it.
(But, I will only actively root for him as a Vol! That is what makes ME happy. :) )
Click to expand...

I watched a Knox radio podcast and one of the pundits basically implied that there was a difference between JH showing Moore loyalty in blowouts and what the actual scenario would be if..... God forbid I wont even say it. Zero idea if its true.
 
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#10
#10
Regardless we will not be keeping Merklinger AND McIntyre AND Faison. But this is a GOOD problem to have. Someone will transfer because having 2 good QBs in staff is all we need. And there will be lots of good competition so regardless we will be keeping the best of the bunch in Kville!
 
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#11
#11
Ritzwatch said:
I never would have thought Gaston Moore would be a #2 but, credit to the young man, he has worked his tail off and earned the spot.

Some high profile kids transfer for playing time; I don't blame them - they are only young enough to play the game for a short time. Others, well, they commit to a program as lesser known recruits and work and develop and see good things happen over time. See, for example, Josh Heupel at OU, Stetson Bennett at UGA.

I want my kids to be happy. Life is short. Whatever makes Merk happy as a player, I support his decision to do it.
(But, I will only actively root for him as a Vol! That is what makes ME happy. :) )
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA, in the word of Jack Oswald White.
I was pooh-poohed for darning to say the Gas Man could take over. Mocked that Merklinger was superior. Despite Gas having more and longer knowledge of the Heup system. It just made sense. Sure enough, he has outplayed Merklinger when Nico sat. I think the Merk is a darn fine QB, frosh or not, but the gas station attendant is better acquainted with the station's operations.
 
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#12
#12
aseagroves said:
Does Merklinger hit the portal in a year or two? I think he has all the potential in the world to be a starting QB for someone I just don’t know if it’s us. With MacIntyre coming in and Faizon a year after that I don’t see Merklinger sticking around.
Click to expand...

He’s going to be QB2 next season. Nico will come out early that Merklinger will get lots of playing time next year. We won’t have a decent QB2 if he leaves. Not until someone else has a year to learn Heupel’s system well enough to run it.
 
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#14
#14
He may transfer, but I think he'd be silly to transfer before 2026. He's pretty much guaranteed the QB2 spot next year because we aren't going to burn G-Mac's redshirt unless something horrible happens. He's getting coached by the best in the business right now. If I'm Merklinger I'm busting my ass to beat out G-Mac and if things don't go my way in the spring of 2026, I'm calling Alex Golesh.
 
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#15
#15
sonofUT62 said:
I watched a Knox radio podcast and one of the pundits basically implied that there was a difference between JH showing Moore loyalty in blowouts and what the actual scenario would be if..... God forbid I wont even say it. Zero idea if its true.
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The pundit sounds like an idiot. Moore has looked much, much better than Merklinger so far in limited action. Maybe I'm in the minority on this but if something did happen to Nico I still think we'd be a 10-win team.
 
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#16
#16
bpalmer28 said:
He may transfer, but I think he'd be silly to transfer before 2026. He's pretty much guaranteed the QB2 spot next year because we aren't going to burn G-Mac's redshirt unless something horrible happens. He's getting coached by the best in the business right now. If I'm Merklinger I'm busting my ass to beat out G-Mac and if things don't go my way in the spring of 2026, I'm calling Alex Golesh.
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Agree, the only way Merk transfers will be when Nico leaves and if GM is good enough to take the starting job from him. But we will have Merk as long as we have Nico.
 
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#18
#18
bpalmer28 said:
The pundit sounds like an idiot. Moore has looked much, much better than Merklinger so far in limited action. Maybe I'm in the minority on this but if something did happen to Nico I still think we'd be a 10-win team.
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I think it's impossible really to judge these things in mop up duty. It would not surprise me at all that a 22 year old red shirt senior who has been in the Huepel system his whole career would look better than a true freshman taking his first college snaps.

But then again there's a reason Gaston has never been a starter for a Heupel team. Merklinger is a top rated recruit and Moore was a walk-on QB.
 
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#19
#19
aseagroves said:
Does Merklinger hit the portal in a year or two? I think he has all the potential in the world to be a starting QB for someone I just don’t know if it’s us. With MacIntyre coming in and Faizon a year after that I don’t see Merklinger sticking around.
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I think there’s a good chance Merklinger is the starting QB after Nico leaves.
 
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#20
#20
bpalmer28 said:
The pundit sounds like an idiot. Moore has looked much, much better than Merklinger so far in limited action. Maybe I'm in the minority on this but if something did happen to Nico I still think we'd be a 10-win team.
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Moore is better than a lot of starting QBs at big time programs right now, including the one at Florida State.
 
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#23
#23
aseagroves said:
Does Merklinger hit the portal in a year or two? I think he has all the potential in the world to be a starting QB for someone I just don’t know if it’s us. With MacIntyre coming in and Faizon a year after that I don’t see Merklinger sticking around.
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How do you know GMac will be better than Merk?
 
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#24
#24
Why would he be QB2 now? He won’t be getting in the next games because most blowouts are over. He can play in 4 and redshirt.
 
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