Next season, Tennessee football will turn the page to a new starting quarterback. The Vols’ 2025 starter, Joey Aguilar, was denied his request for a preliminary injunction, which would’ve allowed him to return in 2026.
This means it’ll be a three-man competition between George MacIntyre, Faizon Brandon and Ryan Staub for the job. Each is unproven, with MacIntyre getting limited run a year ago as the third-string option, Brandon entering his freshman year and Staub playing a largely reserve role at Colorado.
No matter who wins the job, it’ll continue a somewhat concerning trend for Josh Heupel and Tennessee, though. This will be the fifth-straight season for UT that it will have a new starting quarterback.
In 2021, despite Joe Milton earning the starting job heading into the year, Hendon Hooker took over. He returned in 2022, putting together one of the best seasons in program history at the position. In 2023, Milton took back over. After he ran out of eligibility, it was Nico Iamaleava in 2024. Then, with Iamaleava leaving in the spring, Aguilar came in in 2025.
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That’s not a great long-term recipe for success. Sure, you can win with one-year transfers. Look at Indiana with Fernando Mendoza and Miami with Carson Beck this past season in the national title game. In 2024, Ohio State won the title with Will Howard, as well.
A lot of teams have won with multi-year guys, though. 2023 Michigan with JJ McCarthy, 2022 and 2021 Georgia with Stetson Bennett, 2020 Alabama with Mac Jones and 2019 LSU with Joe Burrow all were returners with starting experience the year prior.
Sometimes, especially in this era, it’s perfectly fine to have that one-and-done transfer quarterback. However, ideally, it’s someone who returns and has great familiarity with your system. That’s what UT has the chance to do starting this upcoming year. No matter the winner of this job, they will have multiple years of eligibility.
If Tennessee gets it right and the pick pans out, it could not only set up a strong 2026 but create a whole lot of buzz going forward, as well.
