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How Jake Merklinger is approaching Tennessee football quarterback battle
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- How Jake Merklinger is approaching Tennessee football quarterback battle
Jake Merklinger didn't take any fun vacations or seek rest in the summer months.
"I played football," Merklinger said. "That is fun."
Merklinger's summer fun prepared him for this Tennessee football preseason.
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The redshirt freshman is in the middle of a quarterback completion as the Vols open coach Josh Heupel's fifth preseason on July 30. He is battling with senior transfer Joey Aguilar and freshman George MacIntyre for a job that Heupel stressed will be earned through preseason practices .
"We come out to practice and we each want something and we compete for it," Merklinger said July 29.
Merklinger's trajectory at Tennessee changed drastically after it appeared understood in the spring. He was set to be Nico Iamaleava 's backup before Iamalaeva left the Vols over an NIL dispute at the end of spring football.
He expected Tennessee to go out and add a player to the QB room, which it did with Aguilar, who transferred from UCLA . Accordingly, his mindset didn't change when Aguilar arrived.
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"I have always tried to have a pretty good mindset, a mindset of working hard, doing what I can to help my teammates and help this team win," Merklinger said. "As far as going into camp, I am excited. I am excited for what this team can do and I am excited to get better every day."
Merklinger, a former four-star recruit, passed for 48 yards in two games as a freshman in 2024. MacIntyre enrolled early at Tennessee and went through spring practices. Aguilar joined in the summer, bringing 24 games of starting experience at Appalachian State. He threw for 6,760 yards and 56 touchdowns in two seasons before transferring to UCLA.
The group has chemistry and what the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Merklinger described as a "healthy competition" when on the field. He feels he has grown enough to put his best foot forward with his knowledge of the game through being around the coaches and the film room throughout the offseason.
His teammates have seen it.
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"I think he was a born leader," offensive lineman Lance Heard said. "It is just coming out even more now. … You would think he is a four-, five-year vet back there with the way he carries himself."
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Merklinger, a Savannah native, is approaching the month before Tennessee plays Syracuse in Atlanta on Aug. 30 (noon ET, ABC) to kick off the 2025 season by trying to play without a fear of failure.
He wants to live on the fine line between reckless and aggressive, which offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle preached is imperative for a quarterback.
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He wants to show he can be QB1 for Tennessee.
"All the things that coach Heup said: Just competing hard, leading my teammates, resetting after each play and playing the next one like it is a new one," Merklinger said.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ ByMikeWilson . If you enjoy Mike's coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football: Jake Merklinger on approach to Vols QB competition
