Tennessee Volunteers football head coach Josh Heupel knows the quarterback battle will be tough even after the departure of Nico Iamaleava.
Iamaleava left the Volunteers this offseason as he transferred to the UCLA Bruins. It was a controversial exit as the argument involved NIL negotiations that didn't go in the quarterback's favor.
Heupel reflected on the situation in an interview with Nashville's 104.5 The Zone during his time at SEC Media Days in Atlanta on Tuesday. He knows whoever wins the starting job at quarterback will have a lot of responsibility, something he hopes they will live up to.
“Well, you've got to. We've got a competition. Let's go. That's fun. It's not anything we haven't been through at Tennessee or previously. The thing that I do like is they're good teammates. They care about each other. They've handled it in a positive way. Even though they're competing every minute of the day in the position room, on the practice field, in the weight room, they've handled it in a really positive way. They encourage and challenge each other the right way,” Heupel said.
What's next for Josh Heupel, Tennessee
Josh Heupel will have a tough time deciding between the Tennessee Volunteers quarterbacks who will be Nico Iamaleava's successor.
Iamaleava made 13 starts last year, completing 213 passes for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns. He led them to a 10-3 record, reaching the College Football Playoff. However, their season came to an end after losing to the Ohio State Buckeyes, who went on to win the national championship.
There are three players who will compete for the starting job this season: Joey Aguilar, Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre.
