Tennessee football's QB1 battle to be 'intense' as three-way race has no front-runner

The Tennessee Volunteers are entering rare territory this summer: they don’t have a starting quarterback locked in. And this isn’t just a two-man battle—it’s a three-way competition, all sparked by Nico Iamaleava’s surprising decision to leave campus just one day before the spring game.

Initially, Iamaleava’s father dismissed the reports, calling out On3’s Pete Nakos for spreading false information.

“More games being played off the field than on the field. Bi7ch Nakos from On3 called and asked me directly, I told him I had no idea on what he’s talking about. He said his ‘close source’ that he trusts with his life from the University of Tennessee staff gave him this,” Iamaleava’s father wrote.

Iamaleava ultimately transferred to UCLA, where he’s expected to make a significant impact—especially for a program that’s struggled in recent seasons. His decision to leave Knoxville was reportedly motivated by a desire to be closer to home.

His departure has now ignited an all-out quarterback battle at Tennessee, with three players competing for the job—and each driven by different motivations.

“I think that's going to be a healthy competition," said VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs. "But I think it's going to be a pretty intense competition in that quarterback room, too. I think Merklinger, I think he got a taste and the thought of being the number one quarterback when Nico left. That week or two after, he was QB1. And I don't think he wants to let go of that. And then George went from, I'm not gonna play, to wait a minute, I'm in the competition. And then Joey Aguilar is looking at it going, well, I could step in there and be the guy at an SEC program....and play in front of 100,000 people, I'm not going to screw this thing up. So I think everybody's got their own kind of drive with it. But I think it's going to be a pretty intense competition between all three of those. It should be fun."

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All three quarterbacks may be worthy of the starting role, but only one will win the job. Until a decision is made, expect a fiery and competitive atmosphere in the QB room throughout summer practices.