Josh Heupel has Tennessee rolling in the quarterback department for years to come. Five-star, former No. 1 overall player Nico Iamaleava will get his turn coming up this fall.
Four-star passer Jake Merklinger is behind him, then attention turns to five-star 2025 commit George MacIntyre.
The mid-state product committed to Tennessee back in the spring, choosing the Volunteers over the likes of Alabama, LSU, Clemson and several others. Per On3, MacIntyre ranks 17th overall in the class — the fourth ranked quarterback in the country and the top overall player in the state of Tennessee.
ESPN took a deep dive into the 2025 quarterback class this week. Tom Luginbill offered his thoughts on MacIntyre, who he believes is still very much in the developmental phase.
Strengths: At 6-6, MacIntyre has rare height and is a pure pocket player with good feet and sneaky pocket quickness. He’s a late bloomer physically, and that’s a good thing. He handles the ball well and is fundamentally sound and consistent. MacIntyre possesses a strong, but not elite arm. With time in the weight room and physical development, his arm will get stronger. He sees the field well and consistently makes good decisions on time.
Areas of improvement: Growth and physical strength. He’s underdeveloped, super tall and rail thin. The fact that he’s not going to have to play right away at Tennessee is going to aid his development and maturity.
How he fits at Tennessee: Josh Heupel employs today’s best plug-and-play quarterback scheme in college football. MacIntyre remind us a little bit of what Drew Lock looked like in this offense when Heupel had him at Missouri. This is a nice in-state pick up for the Vols.
