If Nico Iamaleava’s successor isn’t a downgrade, I’ll be stunned. Truly. I say that as someone who had nothing but praise for Tennessee’s decision to stand firm and not give into Iamaleava’s $4 million demand.
But yeah, the post-spring transfer QB market hasn’t been particularly deep. And history tells us that even if there is a solid option in the post-spring window (think 2018 Joe Burrow before transfer windows were really a thing), it could take a bit of time for him to grasp the full playbook.
So what does Tennessee do? More likely than not, a post-spring quarterback transfer is coming to Knoxville to join Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre in a QB competition.
These are 5 guys that I’d like to see at Tennessee:
Jadyn Davis, Michigan
Davis has to know what everyone else does. That is, Bryce Underwood’s time is coming. Soon. Davis has impressed in spring camp, but he’s now in a situation where even if he beats out Underwood, his leash will be extremely short. Alternatively, Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene could return from injury and beat out both Davis and Underwood for the starting job. Even though Davis has 4 years of eligibility left after preserving his redshirt as a 4-star true freshman in 2024, the scenario in which Davis is a multi-year starter at Michigan feels extremely unlikely with Underwood in the picture.
Heupel recruited Davis back in 2022, so there’s already a rapport there. We know that Josh Heupel hasn’t had a problem bringing in a Michigan transfer QB in the past. Unlike Joe Milton, Davis hasn’t had the opportunity to spin it as a starter. He’d have a significant learning curve to beat out his 2024 classmate Merklinger, but this is the type of guy who could be tempted by being a fan favorite at Tennessee instead of being, at best, the placeholder at Michigan until Underwood is ready.
CJ Carr, Notre Dame
Are you sensing a theme yet? A blue-chip quarterback entering Year 2 could make a lot of sense for Heupel. The grandson of longtime Michigan coach Lloyd Carr is in a race with Steve Angeli, who did the best possible thing that a backup can do. He stepped in during a crucial moment and saved the day. That’s what Angeli did in the semifinal game against Penn State, and it made some wonder if the Irish offense was better off with him as opposed to a limited Riley Leonard. Angeli still has 2 years of eligibility left, which means that if Carr doesn’t win the job in fall camp, he could have to wait until 2027 for an opportunity.
QB CJ Carr was excellent in the Blue-Gold Game.14-19, 170 yds, 2 TD, INT.It's a glorified practice, but the soon-to-be sophomore looked the part. pic.twitter.com/KiBju8p7WF
— Bennett Wise WSBT (@BennettWiseWSBT) April 12, 2025All reports out of South Bend are that Carr has taken that all-important Year 2 step. The question he’ll have to answer is if it’s enough to overcome Angeli and that lasting performance against Penn State. It’s a roll of the dice either way. If Tennessee were to give Carr the fast track to the starting job with a pay raise, he wouldn’t have to wait behind a veteran with multiple years of eligibility. Maybe that’s not realistic for someone who didn’t deviate much at all during the recruiting process, but it’s worth it for Tennessee to find out.
Carson Conklin, Sacramento State
Conklin would be an out-of-the-box move for a program like Tennessee, but why not? Conklin finished 3rd in the Jerry Rice Award for the top freshman in FCS after he threw for 2,876 yards and 28 passing touchdowns, so unlike some of the other guys on this list, he’s got game experience with 3 years of eligibility left. Sacramento State is expected to be moving up to the FBS level by 2026, but 2025 will still be spent at the FCS level. On top of that, Conklin is already trying to learn a new offense after the Hornets hired UNLV offensive coordinator Brennan Marion to take over in December.
6 plays, 75 yards, 36 seconds@JaredGipson7 snatches the TD pass from @Carson_Conklin#ExperienceElevated pic.twitter.com/ZR0sROMbOw
— Big Sky Conference (@BigSkyConf) October 26, 2024We already saw Iowa poach FCS star Mark Gronowski to be its next QB1. While there would definitely be a significant learning curve to adjust from the FCS level to the SEC, Conklin could elevate Tennessee’s 2025 offensive floor as he continues to develop within the scheme.
Austin Mack, Alabama
I know, I know. Mack couldn’t play immediately if he transferred to Alabama in the post-spring window. But tell me this. After Ryan Grubb’s comments that Ty Simpson would be QB1 if the season started tomorrow, what are the odds that Mack is the odd man out of that room? And if he is, where is he going and starting immediately as a post-spring transfer? Not likely. As tough of a pill as that would be for Mack to swallow to sit in Year 3, he could enter 2026 as Tennessee’s leader in college experience having spent 3 years with some combination of Kalen DeBoer/Grubb/Heupel.
The funny thing about Mack is that he’s entering Year 3, yet he’s only 18 years old (he turns 19 next month). He could sit this year, learn the system and still have 2 years of eligibility left after 2025. Pair that with the current QB room and/or the right grad transfer, and that could be a savvy way for Heupel to approach this. Speaking of that …
Cam Rising, Utah (most recently)
Let me be clear. I have no idea if Rising has picked up a football since the calendar turned to 2025. I couldn’t tell you if he’s in the best shape of his life or if he put on 30 pounds while eating donuts in the mountains of Utah. Seemingly, nobody has heard from Rising since Utah announced that it would be moving on from the 25-year-old quarterback after yet another injury-derailed season. It’s because of those injuries that Rising would be a total wild card to pluck out of obscurity. I get that, and I also get why Tennessee could look elsewhere for its QB1 for 2025.
But Rising doesn’t have any leverage in his final year of eligibility (finally). There aren’t guys available who started in multiple Rose Bowls/conference title games. Rising, for all his frustrating injury issues, is as accomplished as any potentially available quarterback. If Tennessee wanted to conduct a behind-the-scenes physical/workout to see where the former Utah star is at, it could do so before taking a flier. Maybe Rising just needs 1 final opportunity … or maybe he’s already moved on from football. Either way, Tennessee could do a whole lot worse.
5 potential post-spring transfer quarterbacks that I’d like to see at Tennessee Saturday Down South.
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