Josh Heupel reported to have received “no less than 30 calls” from Top CFB QBs to join Tennessee after Nico Iamaleava’s exit

Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers will be looking for a new quarterback as Nico Iamaleava has entered the transfer portal.

Iamaleava and Tennessee got into an NIL dispute as he wanted more money and held out of the spring practice and ultimately left the program. With the Vols losing their starting quarterback, Tennessee will likely look to add a quarterback in the portal, and it appears they have multiple options, according to college football insider Richard West.

"Inside Source: Heupel & staff have received no less than 30 phone calls from current D1 QBs to see if they could transfer to Tennessee. Many names have been thrown out there with Avery Johnson, Sam Leavitt, Rocco Becht, Sawyer Robertson & Haynes King as the top possibilities," West reported.

It's uncertain how true this report is, but there is no question that there will be several quarterbacks interested in playing for Tennessee.

The Volunteers currently have just Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre as quarterbacks on the roster.

Josh Heupel was impressed with Tennessee's quarterback play

After Nico Iamaleava left the Volunteers, Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre participated in the Vols spring game.

In the spring game, the two had moments and Heupel was impressed with them, which could lead to him having confidence in those two as the quarterbacks.

“I thought they did a really good job today for the most part,” said Heupel, via On3. “Obviously, Merk had the one pick, um, on the double move, where the safety is the player in the middle of the field. But, for the most part, they handled the operation pretty well. You know, there was a couple checks that, that we can clean up, just some of the operation side of it and, and the ultimate check.

"But, you know, they moved the football, made plays, thought they used their feet. Obviously, they weren’t live. They’re going to have to learn how to protect themselves out in space. But it was a great day for both of them as young players, being out in front of that crowd, having to be the guy and go operate," Heupel added.

Although Heupel was impressed with his quarterbacks, it does seem certain that the Volunteers will add at least one quarterback in the portal.

Tennessee will open its 2025 college football season on August 30 against Syracuse.