Which QB recruiting option do you prefer?

#1
gymmlover

gymmlover

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#1
Looking at the list below, it appears the perfect Heupel system QB is older, experienced, has quick reactions and processing ability. Basically a upper classman transfer. He has been ultra successful with 2 of 3 in Joey, Hendon, and Joe.

THIS IS NO REFLECTION ON ANY OF THE PLAYERS, BUT NO Heupel high school recruit has been successful as expected including Nico. How much did Nico cost the Vols? How much is Jake , George, and Faizon costing the Vols to possibly ride the bench for this year and next? Faizon may be the exception but we thought the same of Nico and with Heupel's past history with his high school recruits........but is he a sure thing like we thought Nico was?

Looking at past history, it appears Heupel would have better luck taking 2-3 transfers each year at QB and no high school recruits. Take only proven transfers with the qualities mentioned earlier. Play the best player and not the one that is next in line. Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss, Miami and FSU are doing this as is Ohio State, Indiana, Oklahoma, and many more.

What do you think?

High school recruits
  • George MacIntyre (2025): A five-star recruit from Nashville who committed in January 2024. He was ranked as one of the top quarterbacks in the 2025 class.
  • Faizon Brandon (2026): A five-star quarterback prospect who committed to Tennessee in 2024.
  • Jake Merklinger (2024): A four-star quarterback who enrolled at Tennessee in December 2023.
  • Nico Iamaleava (2023): A five-star prospect and the centerpiece of Tennessee's 2023 recruiting class. He became the full-time starter in 2024 but later transferred to UCLA in 2025.
  • Tayven Jackson (2022): A four-star quarterback recruit who transferred to Indiana after the arrival of Nico Iamaleava.
  • Kaidon Salter (2021): A four-star dual-threat quarterback who signed with the Vols in Heupel's first class before transferring.
Transfer quarterbacks
  • Joey Aguilar (2025): An experienced transfer who arrived in 2025 after Nico Iamaleava's departure. He has performed well as Tennessee's starting quarterback in the 2025 season.
  • Joe Milton III (2021): Transferred to Tennessee in 2021 and started during the 2021, 2022, and 2023 seasons.
  • Hendon Hooker (2021): Transferred in 2021 under Pruitt so really Heupel cannot claim him but he became the starter during the 2021 season, and had a breakout year in 2022, finishing his career as one of the program's most productive quarterbacks under Heupel.
 
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#5
#5
Wouldn't this assessment need to be expanded to his other head coach and OC jobs to establish a pattern? Or, are you thinking it's not only about Huepel but about how the portal affects attaining QBs?
 
#6
#6
Great topic guys. Tayven Jackson and Central Florida lit up Belichick and UNC yesterday. Free agency in NCAA is quite interesting. Glad Vols have a QB whisperer.
 
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#7
#7
Yes, I have been saying this all season. Cultivate the top junior QB in the country with talent as this year moves forward convert them from the portal. Spend the NIL cash on linemen 3 deep, both sides of the ball. There is no way you can pay QB's to ride the bench and have depth in the lines of scrimmage.
 
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#8
#8
I do think this system is based more on quick decisions instead of freak athleticism. It is hard to gauge football intelligence in a recruit. Really we are talking about how Joe and Nico didn’t really fit. Those may be outliers, and not great examples. Time will tell.

I do think CJH gets infatuated with physical skills because he really didn’t have them as a player himself. We may be better served with recruits who are 4 stars with a chip on their shoulders instead of the most talented kid.
 
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#10
#10
Gmac should start next year, but if a good portal QB becomes available, get him. You can't start a season with 2 or less scholarship QBs. Fazion needs a season or two.
 
#11
#11
gymmlover said:
Looking at the list below, it appears the perfect Heupel system QB is older, experienced, has quick reactions and processing ability. Basically a upper classman transfer. He has been ultra successful with 2 of 3 in Joey, Hendon, and Joe.

THIS IS NO REFLECTION ON ANY OF THE PLAYERS, BUT NO Heupel high school recruit has been successful as expected including Nico. How much did Nico cost the Vols? How much is Jake , George, and Faizon costing the Vols to possibly ride the bench for this year and next? Faizon may be the exception but we thought the same of Nico and with Heupel's past history with his high school recruits........but is he a sure thing like we thought Nico was?

Looking at past history, it appears Heupel would have better luck taking 2-3 transfers each year at QB and no high school recruits. Take only proven transfers with the qualities mentioned earlier. Play the best player and not the one that is next in line. Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss, Miami and FSU are doing this as is Ohio State, Indiana, Oklahoma, and many more.

What do you think?

High school recruits
  • George MacIntyre (2025): A five-star recruit from Nashville who committed in January 2024. He was ranked as one of the top quarterbacks in the 2025 class.
  • Faizon Brandon (2026): A five-star quarterback prospect who committed to Tennessee in 2024.
  • Jake Merklinger (2024): A four-star quarterback who enrolled at Tennessee in December 2023.
  • Nico Iamaleava (2023): A five-star prospect and the centerpiece of Tennessee's 2023 recruiting class. He became the full-time starter in 2024 but later transferred to UCLA in 2025.
  • Tayven Jackson (2022): A four-star quarterback recruit who transferred to Indiana after the arrival of Nico Iamaleava.
  • Kaidon Salter (2021): A four-star dual-threat quarterback who signed with the Vols in Heupel's first class before transferring.
Transfer quarterbacks
  • Joey Aguilar (2025): An experienced transfer who arrived in 2025 after Nico Iamaleava's departure. He has performed well as Tennessee's starting quarterback in the 2025 season.
  • Joe Milton III (2021): Transferred to Tennessee in 2021 and started during the 2021, 2022, and 2023 seasons.
  • Hendon Hooker (2021): Transferred in 2021 under Pruitt so really Heupel cannot claim him but he became the starter during the 2021 season, and had a breakout year in 2022, finishing his career as one of the program's most productive quarterbacks under Heupel.
Click to expand...
He has taken 3 rejects from other programs and turned them into NFL draft picks!
*Hendon Hooker tech.
*Joe Milton Michigan
*Joey Aguilar UCLA

Time we trust he knows what he’s doing regarding QBs!
 
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#12
#12
George Macintyre is as good a QB prospect as Heupel has ever recruited.

Faizon Brandon is also a dynasty QB.

I want both to play for UT but that’s just not probable unless Faizon redshirt and GMaC has two big seasons.
 
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#15
#15
Rocky Top T said:
Gmac should start next year, but if a good portal QB becomes available, get him. You can't start a season with 2 or less scholarship QBs. Fazion needs a season or two.
Click to expand...
He does not need a season or 2.
He may sit two seasons because GMAC is so good.
But Faizon could QB UT right now if needed. As a HS senior.

He absolutely doesn’t need 2 seasons.
 
#16
#16
LittleVol said:
George Macintyre is as good a QB prospect as Heupel has ever recruited.

Faizon Brandon is also a dynasty QB.

I want both to play for UT but that’s just not probable unless Faizon redshirt and GMaC has two big seasons.
Click to expand...
This is the playbook and if it doesn’t work bring in a transfer guy.
 
#17
#17
It will be interesting to see if the Vols/JA have an impact on how teams spend their $ going forward. I was the "nega" that wanted to cut Nico last year to free up NIL $ to spread around.

Teams may think twice about what they pay some of these skill positions. I could see some program going all in on an online and rolling with transfer QB or a game manager type
 
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#18
#18
LittleVol said:
George Macintyre is as good a QB prospect as Heupel has ever recruited.

Faizon Brandon is also a dynasty QB.

I want both to play for UT but that’s just not probable unless Faizon redshirt and GMaC has two big seasons.
Click to expand...
A lot of people thought the same about our QB last year, pump the breaks a little on Fazion. Dynasty QB???
 
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#21
#21
LittleVol said:
He does not need a season or 2.
He may sit two seasons because GMAC is so good.
But Faizon could QB UT right now if needed. As a HS senior.

He absolutely doesn’t need 2 seasons.
Click to expand...
You probably was one of those wanted to start Nico in 23. You don't know what Fazion will do right now
 
#22
#22
But for the Nico meltdown, Aguillar is nowhere on Heup's radar and Nico is still here (and I am glad he is not), Aguillar was in the portal but no interest from Tennessee or the SEC schools.

We got lucky on the Nico money grab with Aguillar falling into our lap, but rather than continuing to futz around on questionable talent, Heup needs to be putting GMac out there instead of Merk and get GMac ready sooner rather than later. Other schools will throw money at GMac, particularly if he does not see the field and ends up in the portal and Faizon isn't coming to Tennessee to stand around on the sidelines.
 
#23
#23
This isn’t just a Tennessee thing. In CFB in general, I think you’re better try finding a Diego Pavia or Joey Aguilar than an Arch, Nico, or Lagway.

Get the proven experience for less money, you don’t have to pay them millions to sit a year or two, and you can put the money saved into OT, WR, DE, and CB
 
#24
#24
TartanTurff said:
But for the Nico meltdown, Aguillar is nowhere on Heup's radar and Nico is still here (and I am glad he is not), Aguillar was in the portal but no interest from Tennessee or the SEC schools.

We got lucky on the Nico money grab with Aguillar falling into our lap, but rather than continuing to futz around on questionable talent, Heup needs to be putting GMac out there instead of Merk and get GMac ready sooner rather than later. Other schools will throw money at GMac, particularly if he does not see the field and ends up in the portal and Faizon isn't coming to Tennessee to stand around on the sidelines.
Click to expand...
If Fazion is not as good as advertised like Nico, then he can stand on the sidelines until he transfers. Get Gmac reps, let Merk stay on the bench
 
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