Looking At Every Available Transfer Portal Quarterback Tennessee Football Could Go After

Photo via Mark Haskett | Western Carolina Athletics

Tennessee football pushed in all its chips late for Sam Leavitt, but it wasn’t enough to keep him from heading to Baton Rouge to join Lane Kiffin with LSU. Shortly after he officially signed, another Vols target, Beau Pribula, committed and later signed with Virginia.

So where does that leave the Vols? Tennessee has highly-recruited redshirt freshman George MacIntyre and true freshman Faizon Brandon on the roster, but neither holds much experience.

While Josh Heupel could opt to go with one of those two young talents, he may still look for a transfer quarterback to add to the room. Here are the remaining options available that are currently in the portal and haven’t committed yet.

All rankings via 247.

More From RTI: Former Tennessee Offensive Line Target Jordan Seaton Enters Transfers Portal

No. 6 – Husan Longstreet (USC)

  • Eligibility: 4 years
  • 2025 stats:
    • 13/15 (86.7%)
    • 103 yards
    • 1 TD
    • 0 INT
    • 11 carries
    • 76 yards
    • 2 TD
  • Pros:
    • Former five-star
    • Big Ten experience
  • Cons:
    • Tennessee already has highly-recruited, young QB options
    • Likely commands big NIL package
    • Very little in-game experience

 

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No. 12 – Ethan Grunkmeyer (Penn State)

  • Eligibility: 3 years
  • 2025 stats:
    • 123/178 (69.1%)
    • 1,339 yards
    • 8 TD
    • 4 INT
    • 35 carries
    • -46 yards
    • 1 TD
  • Pros:
    • Started seven games last season
  • Cons:
    • Tennessee already has highly-recruited, young QB options
    • Likely following James Franklin to Virginia Tech

 

No. 27 – Jake Merklinger (Tennessee)

  • Eligibility: 3 years
  • 2025 stats:
    • 13/24 (54.2%)
    • 173 yards
    • 2 TD
    • 0 INT
    • 4 carries
    • 16 yards
  • Pros:
    • Knows Tennessee’s offense, coaches, personnel
  • Cons:
    • Already transferred out, lost QB battle to Joey Aguilar
    • Tennessee already has highly-recruited, young QB options
    • Very little in-game experience

 

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No. 35 – EJ Colson (Incarnate Word)

  • Eligibility: 3 years
  • 2025 stats:
    • 210/296 (70.9%)
    • 2,142 yards
    • 16 TD
    • 4 INT
    • 108 carries
    • 287 yards
    • 3 TD
  • Pros:
    • Started eight games last season
  • Cons:
    • Tennessee already has highly-recruited, young QB options
    • Little experience at Power Four level (three games at UCF in 2024)

 

No. 37 – Air Noland (South Carolina)

  • Eligibility: 3 years
  • 2025 stats:
    • 2/3 (66.7%)
    • 13 yards
    • 1 carry
    • 4 yards
  • Pros:
    • On Ohio State’s national title roster
    • SEC experience
  • Cons:
    • Tennessee already has highly-recruited, young QB options
    • Very little in-game experience

 

No. 38 – Jadyn Davis (Michigan)

  • Eligibility: 3 years
  • 2025 stats:
    • 0/2
    • 0 yards
    • 1 INT
    • 1 carry
    • -6 yards
  • Pros:
    • Experience at Michigan
  • Cons:
    • Tennessee already has highly-recruited, young QB options
    • Very little in-game experience

 

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No. 40 – Austin Novosad (Oregon)

  • Eligibility: 2 years
  • 2025 stats:
    • 1/2 (50%)
    • 40 yards
  • Pros:
    • Three years spent at Oregon
  • Cons:
    • Very little in-game experience

 

No. 64 – Colin Hurley (LSU)

  • Eligibility: 3 years
  • 2025 stats:
    • No stats
  • Pros:
    • SEC experience
  • Cons:
    • Tennessee already has highly-recruited, young QB options
    • Very little in-game experience

 

No. 67 – Jakhari Williams (Syracuse)

  • Eligibility: 3 years
  • 2025 stats:
    • No stats
  • Pros:
    • Power Four experience
  • Cons:
    • Tennessee already has highly-recruited, young QB options
    • Very little in-game experience

 

No. 67 – EJ Caminong (Cal)

  • Eligibility: 3 years
  • 2025 stats:
    • No stats
  • Pros:
    • Power Four experience
  • Cons:
    • Tennessee already has highly-recruited, young QB options
    • Very little in-game experience

 

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No. 70 – Jackson Kollock (Minnesota)

  • Eligibility: 4 years
  • 2025 stats:
    • No stats
  • Pros:
    • Big Ten experience
  • Cons:
    • Tennessee already has highly-recruited, young QB options
    • Very little in-game experience

 

No. 71 – TJ Finley (Georgia State)

  • Eligibility: 1 year
  • 2025 stats:
    • 127/201 (63.2%)
    • 1,244 yards
    • 6 TD
    • 7 INT
    • 28 carries
    • -51 yards
  • Pros:
    • Going into seventh year of college football
    • Played at Auburn and LSU
  • Cons:
    • Struggled at lower level

 

No. 76 – Cardell Williams (Sacramento State)

  • Eligibility: 1 year
  • 2025 stats:
    • 110/175 (62.9%)
    • 1,621 yards
    • 10 TD
    • 7 INT
    • 99 carries
    • 382 yards
    • 12 TD
  • Pros:
    • In-game experience
  • Cons:
    • No high-level experience

 

No. 77 – Taron Dickens (Western Carolina)

  • Eligibility: 2 years
  • 2025 stats:
    • 271/365 (74.2%)
    • 3,508 yards
    • 38 TD
    • 2 INT
    • 97 carries
    • 321 yards
    • 1 TD
  • Pros:
    • Put up insane stats last season in only nine games
  • Cons:
    • No high-level experience
    • Just 5-foot-11, 180 pounds

 

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No. 80 – Donovan Leary (Tulane)

  • Eligibility: 1 year
  • 2025 stats:
    • No stats
  • Pros:
    • Big Ten experience (Illinois)
    • Brother of Devin Leary
  • Cons:
    • Very little in-game experience

 

No. 84 – Chase Jenkins (Rice)

  • Eligibility: 2 years
  • 2025 stats:
    • 119/172 (69.2%)
    • 1,025 yards
    • 9 TD
    • 2 INT
    • 151 carries
    • 531 yards
    • 5 TD
  • Pros:
    • In-game experience
    • Also has experience at wide receiver
  • Cons:
    • No high-level experience

 

No. 85 – Bekkem Kritza (Penn State)

  • Eligibility: 4 years
  • 2025 stats:
    • No stats
  • Pros:
    • Big Ten experience
  • Cons:
    • Tennessee already has highly-recruited, young QB options
    • Very little in-game experience

 

No. 87 – Jaden Rashada (Sacramento State)

  • Eligibility: 2 years
  • 2025 stats:
    • 17/42 (40.5%)
    • 264 yards
    • 1 TD
    • 1 INT
    • 10 carries
    • -4 yards
  • Pros:
    • Former highly-rated recruit
    • SEC experience on the bench at Georgia
  • Cons:
    • Coming off thumb injury
    • Unproven at any level

 

No. 96 – Gavin Sukup (UIndy)

  • Eligibility: 1 year
  • 2025 stats:
    • 253/350 (72.3%)
    • 3,695 yards
    • 41 TD
    • 7 INT
    • 100 carries
    • 323 yards
    • 5 TD
  • Pros:
    • Dominated at lower level
  • Cons:
    • No high-level experience

 

No. 97 – Skyler Locklear (UTEP)

  • Eligibility: 1 year
  • 2025 stats:
    • 117/211 (55.5%)
    • 1,418 yards
    • 13 TD
    • 11 INT
    • 103 carries
    • 396 yards
    • 8 TD
  • Pros:
    • In-game experience
  • Cons:
    • Struggled at lower level

 

No. 98 – Garrett Rangel (Virginia Tech)

  • Eligibility: 1 year
  • 2025 stats:
    • No stats
  • Pros:
    • Some experience at Oklahoma State
  • Cons:
    • Didn’t play last year, limited action at OSU

 

No. 99 – Cole Welliver (New Mexico)

  • Eligibility: 3 years
  • 2025 stats:
    • No stats
  • Pros:
    • Played for Jason Witten in high school
  • Cons:
    • Very little experience at any level
    • Tennessee already has highly-recruited, young QB options

 

No. 100 – CJ Montes (Kent State)

  • Eligibility: 1 year
  • 2025 stats:
    • 10/19 (52.6%)
    • 140 yards
    • 1 TD
    • 1 INT
  • Pros:
    • Has played a lot of college football
  • Cons:
    • Just one fully healthy season as a starter
    • No high-level experience

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