Josh Heupel should take a page from Phillip Fulmer’s 2004 strategy if Tennessee wants to maximize its potential in 2025.
With Nico Iamaleava’s unexpected exit during the spring transfer window, the Vols head into fall camp facing an unanticipated quarterback competition between UCLA transfer Joey Aguilar, redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger, and true freshman George MacIntyre.
Urban Meyer recently said Heupel should name a starter within the first two weeks of fall camp. While Meyer’s track record gives weight to his opinions, following that advice might actually be counterproductive for Tennessee.
Rather than rushing a decision, Heupel would be wise to mimic Fulmer’s approach from 2004, when he allowed a four-way quarterback battle to extend into the regular season. That year, Fulmer listed true freshmen Brent Schaeffer and Erik Ainge as co-starters and CJ Leak and Rick Clausen as co-backups. Schaeffer started the opener, but Ainge ultimately became the lead quarterback—until an injury opened the door for Clausen to get playing time.
If Heupel names a starter too early, he risks repeating the mistake he made in 2021 when Joe Milton was picked over Hendon Hooker based on fall camp performance. Hooker ended up being the better in-game quarterback, something former offensive coordinator Alex Golesh admitted in hindsight.
As Golesh put it, “I thought I knew and I was wrong.” It’s a reminder that the best practice performer isn’t always the best game-day option. The same thing happened with Josh Dobbs earlier in his career at Tennessee.
Heupel and his staff should certainly consider fall camp evaluations, but they need to avoid locking in a decision too soon. A more flexible approach in the early season could prevent them from sidelining the quarterback who gives them the best chance to win.
And it’s worth noting—2004 was the last time Tennessee beat Florida, Georgia, and Alabama all in the same season.
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