Who is Jake Merklinger? All about Tennessee's backup QB

Modified Apr 12, 2025 17:57 GMT

Syndication: The Knoxville News-Sentinel - Source: Imagn — Syndication: The Knoxville News-Sentinel (image credit: IMAGN)

The Tennessee Volunteers are likely looking for a new quarterback. Nico Iamaleava is in a contract dispute with the program and has not been attending the team's training camp.

On Saturday, it was announced that the Vols would be moving on from Iamaleava. This opens the door for their backup QB, Jake Merklinger, to potentially become the new starter next season.

Who is he and what could he bring to the program?

Who is Jake Merklinger?

Jake Merklinger is entering his second year with the Tennessee Volunteers.

He is originally from the state of Georgia and attended Calvary Day School in Savannah. He was the starting QB in each of the four years that he spent with the school.

Coming out of high school, he was the No. 13 QB in the Class of 2024 and was a four-star prospect, per 247Sports.

Is Nico Iamaleava leaving Tennessee?

ESPN reported that Nico Iamaleava is planning to enter the transfer portal on Wednesday and will leave the Tennessee Volunteers.

While Volunteers coach Josh Heupel has not made any public comments on the issue, he has told the team that Iamaleava will no longer be with them.

This makes the immediate plans of Tennessee difficult. The Volunteers' spring game is on Saturday and Jake Merklinger could impress to have the chance of becoming the new starting QB in the 2025 season.

Jake Merklinger stats

Jake Merklinger was the third-string QB during his freshman season with the Tennessee Volunteers, behind Nico Iamaleava, who was the starter for most of the 2024 campaign.

Despite being the third-string QB, Merklinger was able to see some action. He played in two of the early season blowouts the Volunteers had.

Merklinger completed six passes from nine attempts. He passed for a total of 48 yards and scored zero touchdowns.

About the author

Ben Tredinnick is a journalist who covers college football and college basketball at Sportskeeda who is currently studying for a masters in Data Science. His degree in Psychology has helped him gain an in-depth understanding of the minds of coaches.

Ben has been involved in sports writing since 2022 and covered the NFL previously. His strengths include providing in-depth profiles of athletes and coaches, with a particular focus on development, and looking at which teams could be in the hunt for today's college stars.

Ben enjoys following college sports more than the NBA or NFL because there is more variation in terms of playstyles. The tournaments are often more competitive than the major leagues, and due to the constant turnover of players, there are rarely any "superteams" in college sports.

He prioritizes research, looks at multiple sources and publications to make sure he gets the full picture of the story before writing. He tries not to write from a one-sided perspective to allow the reader to be able to make their mind up on their own.

A Texas Longhorns fan, as well as a massive New York Giants fan, some of his favorite college players of all time are Arch Manning, Tim Tebow and Reggie Bush.

When he is not working, Ben enjoys watching films (especially Godzilla) and spending time with his cat.

Know More

Tennessee Volunteers Fan? Check out the latest Tennessee Volunteers depth chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place.

Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez