Spring camp is yet to begin, but that doesn’t stop everyone from looking ahead to the 2026 college football season. This includes not just projecting how good each team will be, but also the strength of individual positions.
The SEC Unfiltered podcast gave their thoughts on the power rankings for who they think will start at quarterback for each team in the conference. Both hosts, Chris Phillips and Cole Thompson, slotted redshirt-freshman George MacIntyre as the Vols’ signal caller.
However, neither was high on him. Phillips slotted MacIntyre as the worst quarterback in the SEC next season. Thompson had him at 15th, only ahead of Vanderbilt true freshman Jared Curtis.
2026 Way Too Early Quarterback Rankings via @CPhilly19 & @MrColeThompson
Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/8sKsDfAdA3
— SEC Unfiltered (@SECUnfiltered) February 2, 2026
More From RTI: Tennessee Football Sets Date For 2026 Orange & White Game
It’s far from a guarantee that MacIntyre will be UT’s starter next season, though. Instead, he’ll be in the midst of a quarterback battle that will feature three pieces at the moment. Faizon Brandon joins as a five-star true freshman and is considered the No. 3 overall recruit in the 2026 class by 247. Tennessee also brings in veteran Ryan Staub from Colorado, though he doesn’t have much in-game experience.
There’s another wrinkle that could affect the room, as well. The Vols’ 2025 starter, Joey Aguilar, has removed himself from a joint case for an additional year of eligibility and is instead trying to fight for another year from an individual standpoint. Those cases have had much more success, and he reportedly has an NIL deal and roster spot in place for a return if he’s granted another year.
In 2025, Aguilar threw for 3,565 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 13 starts. He also ran for four scores. MacIntyre was the third-string option behind Jake Merklinger, who transferred to UConn. In his limited time, MacIntyre produced 69 passing yards on 7-of-9 passing last season.
