Can someone explain to me why Merklinger or MacIntyre can't be QB1?

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

There actually could be a lot of explanation for that....how much did each practice with the 1's vs. the 2's and 3's? Was practice time split evenly between the three? or was it 50%/25%/25%? I mean, just because they did not 'surpass' Nico does not mean they are no better....Hooker could not surpass Milton in practice either....from what I remember.

Who decides which QB gets reps with the 1s and 2s? Who decides who looks better in practice and should start?

You're making the case that Heupel whiffed on Hooker vs Milton AND may have whiffed on Nico vs Merk or G-Mac.

What you guys are actually trying to do is rationalize a poor situation we are left with by Nico leaving. You're trying to convince yourselves that "it's okay. Merk or G-Mac is ready. Nico wasn't that good and they'll be just as good."

I'm looking at what's there: neither of them was close to challenging Nico as the starter. That's either because Heupel can't or won't evaluate talent fairly or they aren't as good as Nico.

 

[harrit4]

I honestly believe Heupel is doing what the late Al Davis professed to do, get the best coaches and the best players possible, and just win baby. Bring in a Qb, maybe Merk will prove to be better like Hooker did when they brought in Milton. Lets wait and see.

 

[m1al]

Can they? Yes

Are they the best option compared to all the currently and soon to be available QBs from the portal? Probably not.

2025 was supposed to be the year when we had an experienced QB leading the team. Most successful teams now have older QBs. Simply put: Merk and GMac are just young and inexperienced, like Nico last year. You see how that turned out.

I think @Freak will let you change your screen name if you request it. In your case I think it's almost guaranteed...... Just saying.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

Can they? Yes

Are they the best option compared to all the currently and soon to be available QBs from the portal? Probably not.

2025 was supposed to be the year when we had an experienced QB leading the team. Most successful teams now have older QBs. Simply put: Merk and GMac are just young and inexperienced, like Nico last year. You see how that turned out.

Yeah, we made it into the college football playoffs

 

[NCFisher]

If he makes that choice i'll support it. Just once again how do these guys we bring in ever get experience? Each year even leading up to their senior year will be the same excuse. They have no expereience. So where are they supposed to get it?

Typically time on the squad and mop-up duty in SEC play, which we'd very little of due to going entire halves without scoring. Mac is simply a no-go, while Merk at least has time on the team.

With NIL and portal, no longer is anyone stacked with three QBs who can start for other P4 teams, much less teams with reasonable playoff aspirations. If Heupel goes big in the portal, that tells us we don't have one guy.

The other consideration in addition to grabbing a couple WRs, is holding onto those we have. A baller can help with that.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

No, i'm not. Nico had more talent. Nico wasn't awful, also wasn't great. But when last season was he supposed to pull the plug on him? Three games in? Six Games? I'm not arguing that at all. I'm not saying if Nico was still on the team you play Merk starting off. You have to give time for guys to get experience and develop. That's my whole argument here. If you say these guys need experience but you bring in someone else to start when will they get it? Will you say the same thing about the kid coming in next year who is the #1 QB? When do they get to develop and get this experience that is so crucial to everyone? I'm not saying experience isn't important i'm just advocating for them to get it. Otherwise what is the point of bringing in highly recruited guys?

When did Nico get experience when he sat behind Milton? In the cupcake games which is how the QB position has been handled for decades.

Peyton wouldn't have started unless he HAD to start but he might've gotten a snap here and there in a blowout. I mean Arch only played when Ewers was hurt or special situations or mop up.

That's how it's been done for generations.

 

[TAF]

 

[gobigorange91]

Who decides which QB gets reps with the 1s and 2s? Who decides who looks better in practice and should start?

You're making the case that Heupel whiffed on Hooker vs Milton AND may have whiffed on Nico vs Merk or G-Mac.

What you guys are actually trying to do is rationalize a poor situation we are left with by Nico leaving. You're trying to convince yourselves that "it's okay. Merk or G-Mac is ready. Nico wasn't that good and they'll be just as good."

I'm looking at what's there: neither of them was close to challenging Nico as the starter. That's either because Heupel can't or won't evaluate talent fairly or they aren't as good as Nico.

I never said he whiffed on Nico vs Merk. He did on Hooker and Milton. Do you not think so?

 

[NCFisher]

Yeah, we made it into the college football playoffs

By the skin of our teeth and not due to QB play.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Go back and look at their recruiting profiles. Both guys had around 30 offers so they were highly recruited but to ask them to be the starter immediately is not always common. Most true freshman will redshirt a year and then sit the bench a year or two before taking the reins which was the vision for these two. Some programs like Nebraska need to start a true freshman because they’re desperate for wins … but for a program like Tennessee, we need a guy with experience to deliver success immediately. Big reason why Josh Heupel recruited Hendon and Joe his first year so he wouldn’t have to play Harrison Bailey

Josh didn't recruit Hendon Hooker, Pruitt took Hooker but it's said Hooker specifically wanted to come to UT. I don't know the full story there.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

By the skin of our teeth and not due to QB play.

Just stating a fact

 

[CPVOL]

Opinions on VN are that Nico was "mid" yet Merk last year and through Spring practices couldn't separate himself and surpass Nico.

G-Mac in Spring practice seemed no better than Merk and has zero snaps in a college game as of yet.

There's a whole contingent saying Nico was the 9th best QB in the SEC last year yet neither Merk nor G-Mac could blow him away in practice.

Ask yourself, why couldn't Merk, at least, distinguish himself above Nico if Nico is the 9th best QB in the SEC?

Merk nor GMac didn’t get the NIL money that Nico received. You’re not paying a player that kind of money to ride the pine

 

[bpalmer28]

 

[Volfan76]

Can someone please explain to me why it seems like both national media and local media think there is just no way that a redshirt freshman who was the 13th best QB or true freshman who was 17th best QB just don't stand a chance this year? I get that they are "unproven" but I mean did Nico really prove much last year? His numbers were not great and everyone would point to that. Did he have the physical tools? Sure, but so did Joe Milton and he just could never put it together in three years in the program. Why is everyone so sure Nico would have but these other highly ranked guys couldn't. Why do we need to go get some "proven guy" with maybe a year under his belt in a different system to come in and start over a guy who will have been here a year and a half by the time the season starts. So basically if your not a five start you need at least three years in the system to be good? It's like people wanting you to have experience for the job but if you never get the opportunity to get experience how can you ever prove yourself? I'm just so sick of this narrative that they will be this huge drop off from Nico. I'm not buying it. They can do good. They can lead us to wins. Why in the world would you come here as a highly ranked QB if you couldn't do the job. Why did we bring them in if they can't do the job? How many great QBs have we seen that were ranked where those two were out of high school or lower. Why can't they do it? Why do they need to sit three years before they can do it? Sorry I'll quit ranting. These guys can produce this year. I believe it. I hope one of them goes out and proves absolutely everyone wrong. Go Vols!

They can but they aren't yet.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

I never said he whiffed on Nico vs Merk. He did on Hooker and Milton. Do you not think so?

The OP makes a case that Merk and G-Mac are ready and will do as well as Nico would've. Do you believe that?

And obviously Heupel whiffed on Milton and Hooker, yes, AND I'd be willing to bet he valued his recruiting prowess over Pruitt. We may see a flaw here in one thing that Heupel's supposed to be really good at: QB evaluation.

 

[MajinBooCarter]

I presume the implications is that our 2 bodies need more development especially due to their skinny sizes. Also wouldnt rule out one starting but a transfer is still needed because 2 bodies is a giant risk injury wise, esp in the sec, especially when the 2 bodies are really skinny. Its much harder to get a transfer qb at all if they dont have a chance or atleast think they have a chance to come in and start.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

The OP makes a case that Merk and G-Mac are ready and will do as well as Nico would've. Do you believe that?

And obviously Heupel whiffed on Milton and Hooker, yes, AND I'd be willing to bet he valued his recruiting prowess over Pruitt. We may see a flaw here in one thing that Heupel's supposed to be really good at: QB evaluation.

I'm not sure anyone here is qualified to judge Heupel 's QB evals. Most aren't remotely qualified

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Merk nor GMac didn’t get the NIL money that Nico received. You’re not paying a player that kind of money to ride the pine

He rode pine behind Milton. And players are busts and encouraged to leave all the time.

If the evaluation was that Nico wasn't developing, push him to the portal. That didn't happen and yet the word on VN is that he was "mid" and the 9th best QB in the SEC but very possibly the highest paid QB in the SEC.

What does that say about his evaluation and development? Who is responsible for that evaluation and development?

 

[camp_steveo]

Nobody believes Nico can do it good enough to win the Natty. Maybe, but not likely.

 

[luthervol]

Can someone please explain to me why it seems like both national media and local media think there is just no way that a redshirt freshman who was the 13th best QB or true freshman who was 17th best QB just don't stand a chance this year? I get that they are "unproven" but I mean did Nico really prove much last year? His numbers were not great and everyone would point to that. Did he have the physical tools? Sure, but so did Joe Milton and he just could never put it together in three years in the program. Why is everyone so sure Nico would have but these other highly ranked guys couldn't. Why do we need to go get some "proven guy" with maybe a year under his belt in a different system to come in and start over a guy who will have been here a year and a half by the time the season starts. So basically if your not a five start you need at least three years in the system to be good? It's like people wanting you to have experience for the job but if you never get the opportunity to get experience how can you ever prove yourself? I'm just so sick of this narrative that they will be this huge drop off from Nico. I'm not buying it. They can do good. They can lead us to wins. Why in the world would you come here as a highly ranked QB if you couldn't do the job. Why did we bring them in if they can't do the job? How many great QBs have we seen that were ranked where those two were out of high school or lower. Why can't they do it? Why do they need to sit three years before they can do it? Sorry I'll quit ranting. These guys can produce this year. I believe it. I hope one of them goes out and proves absolutely everyone wrong. Go Vols!

I wish he would start one of them.
I believe one of the factors that led to Peyton's great success was early playing time.......due to the worst of situations.

No QB will be as good in game 1 as in game 11, 21, or 31......and the only way a player can get to game 31 is by playing 3 seasons.

 

[C-south]

Again, you're saying Heupel either can't or won't ACTUALLY evaluate talent fairly. You're saying Heupel is too prideful in his choices or wearing blinders with his choice to play the best players.

That's a much larger problem than a starting QB.

Well he did have Milton starting over Hooker and the only way Hooker saw the field was when Milton got hurt.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

I'm not sure anyone here is qualified to judge Heupel 's QB evals. Most aren't remotely qualified

I completely agree but here we are with folks saying Nico was mid and Merk and G-Mac would be just as good.

I don't really believe either of those things but these guys are making the case that Heupel too is "mid."

 

[NCFisher]

The OP makes a case that Merk and G-Mac are ready and will do as well as Nico would've. Do you believe that?

And obviously Heupel whiffed on Milton and Hooker, yes, AND I'd be willing to bet he valued his recruiting prowess over Pruitt. We may see a flaw here in one thing that Heupel's supposed to be really good at: QB evaluation.

Pretty small sampling to be drawing conclusions. You need good backups, too, and that may be Merk and/or Mac's destiny.
QBs don't pan out all the time for anyone.
There also seems to be an assumption that had Milton not become injured, Heupel would never have reappraised and shifted to Hooker; that's entirely conjecture.

 

[LWSVOL]

Can someone please explain to me why it seems like both national media and local media think there is just no way that a redshirt freshman who was the 13th best QB or true freshman who was 17th best QB just don't stand a chance this year? I get that they are "unproven" but I mean did Nico really prove much last year? His numbers were not great and everyone would point to that. Did he have the physical tools? Sure, but so did Joe Milton and he just could never put it together in three years in the program. Why is everyone so sure Nico would have but these other highly ranked guys couldn't. Why do we need to go get some "proven guy" with maybe a year under his belt in a different system to come in and start over a guy who will have been here a year and a half by the time the season starts. So basically if your not a five start you need at least three years in the system to be good? It's like people wanting you to have experience for the job but if you never get the opportunity to get experience how can you ever prove yourself? I'm just so sick of this narrative that they will be this huge drop off from Nico. I'm not buying it. They can do good. They can lead us to wins. Why in the world would you come here as a highly ranked QB if you couldn't do the job. Why did we bring them in if they can't do the job? How many great QBs have we seen that were ranked where those two were out of high school or lower. Why can't they do it? Why do they need to sit three years before they can do it? Sorry I'll quit ranting. These guys can produce this year. I believe it. I hope one of them goes out and proves absolutely everyone wrong. Go Vols!

Why does anyone think they can't be? Tennessee has trotted out QBs with way less talent than either of this guys... You go with the best you have on campus.. Way it has always worked. QB1 = Best Available as determined by the coach. No need to ask otherwise IMO

 

[gobigorange91]

The OP makes a case that Merk and G-Mac are ready and will do as well as Nico would've. Do you believe that?

And obviously Heupel whiffed on Milton and Hooker, yes, AND I'd be willing to bet he valued his recruiting prowess over Pruitt. We may see a flaw here in one thing that Heupel's supposed to be really good at: QB evaluation.

I am the OP. No where did I say they will for sure do as well as Nico would have. I do believe that it is possible they could though. No-one is making the case that Heupel is mid. I just asked why can't they be good this year? Why can't they get some experience? And how can they get expereince if we never let them play meaningful snaps? You started the rest of this saying i'm doubting Heupel. I never said one word about him. I think he very well could believe in them and roll into the season starting one of them. I was saying it seems like no one else believes they can be serviceable and that we HAVE to get a starter from the portal.