The worldwide leader in sports ranked the top programs for quarterback play, both in the present and for the future. The Tennessee Volunteers found themselves on the list.
The top quarterback play programs for the present and the future were ranked by the global authority in sports. The Tennessee Volunteers were included in the roster.
Ever since head coach Josh Heupel was hired, the University of Tennessee has shown to be a reliable place for gifted quarterbacks. Unless quarterback Joe Milton III gets selected this offseason, the Vols have dispatched both of Heupel’s quarterbacks to the professional ranks. They signed gifted Georgia gunman Jake Merklinger in 2024, California blue-chipper Nico Iamaleava in 2023, and 2025 saw them bring home the in-state crown jewel, George MacIntyre.
They have made high-level recruitments out of the high school ranks and through the transfer site. Moving forward, the job appears to be in good hands in Knoxville, Tennessee, as ESPN just included a feature piece acknowledging their achievements. Tennessee came in at number twelve on the list of universities ranked by quarterback play, as reported by senior writer Adam Rittenburg of ESPN.
Tennessee has ranked third nationally in scoring and seventh in overall QBR since the hiring of coach Josh Heupel. For the second year in a row, the Vols are switching quarterbacks, but Heupel’s previous history with quarterbacks—at Tennessee and elsewhere—indicates little to no regression. His next challenge is making the most of Californian prospect Nico Iamaleava, a highly sought-after recruit who played in five games the previous year and scored four touchdowns—three on the ground and one via pass—against Iowa in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. Iamaleava still has four seasons remaining in his eligibility as the No. 23 prospect in the 2023 class according to ESPN. Gaston Moore, a seasoned reserve who has only made 17 career collegiate pass attempts, is returning to Knoxville. For one last season, Navy Shuler is also returning. Iamaleava’s status as a multiyear option has generated enthusiasm, but Tennessee has been a strong quarterback recruiter nonetheless. Jake Merklinger, a Georgian freshman who ranks among the top 200 recruits per ESPN, has committed to the Vols early and on campus. Additionally, George MacIntyre, an in-state star and ESPN’s No. 57 recruit in the class, has committed to Tennessee for 2025. Heupel’s offense will be a key selling factor for quarterbacks in the portal and in high school.”