🏈 Tennessee's plans without Nico

Hello. This is the Josh and Swain Newsletter — with a quick look at Tennessee’s pursuit of quarterback help.

And Rick Barnes’ aggressive push on the recruiting trail.

NICO’S OUT… SO WHO’S IN?

I mentioned last week that we’re taking a hiatus from the weekly newsletter.

Well, consider this a brief hiatus… from the hiatus.

Because there’s A LOT going on.

Tennessee’s quarterback situation is fluid as Josh Heupel and his coaching staff look for a QB in the transfer portal.

By now, you know Nico Iamaleava left UT.

Iamaleava will reportedly go to UCLA, although that has not become official as of this writing.

(FYI — UCLA is in the middle of spring practice; the Bruins’ will finish with their Spring Showcase on May 3.)

So where do things stand with Tennessee?

The Vols would love to land a quarterback with a proven track record as a starter at the Power 4 conference level.

Tennessee has money to offer and an open starting position in the SEC.

That’s attractive.

Here’s the challenge:

Convincing an established starter at a Power 4 school to leave his teammates and join a new school, learn a new offense, and develop chemistry with new teammates… is not easy.

You know how Tennessee fans feel about Iamaleava bailing on UT at the end of spring practice?

Tennessee’s hoping another quarterback will do the same thing to his current school.

The spring transfer portal opened on Wednesday.

UT’s coaches can only have direct contact with players who are in the portal.

But… third-party representatives talk to reps (agents) of players at other schools to gauge interest.

It’s no secret that Tennessee needs a QB and is willing to pay high dollar for one.

Other schools can give their quarterbacks more money to stay, too.

Just know that Tennessee will be aggressive in trying to find Iamaleava’s replacement.

The Vols have high expectations for 2025 — they want to return to the College Football Playoff.

High expectations + a sense of urgency from Nico’s departure = motivated pursuit of other quarterbacks.

What options are IN the portal right now?

The list doesn’t have any obvious candidates.

One name to potentially watch: Notre Dame QB Steve Angeli, who entered the portal on Thursday.

He has some playing experience with the Fighting Irish but appeared to be the odd man out in Notre Dame’s three-man quarterback battle in the spring.

Tennessee could pursue Angeli — but that’s more likely if UT strikes out on other proven quarterbacks.

Andy Staples of On3:

Other fallback options could include someone like Northwestern’s Mike Wright, a sixth-year senior who previously played at Vanderbilt and Mississippi State, and Max Johnson.

Johnson has played at LSU, Texas A&M and North Carolina.

The Tar Heels appear set to add Gio Lopez from South Alabama, which could cause Johnson to look elsewhere for his final year in college.

There’s also Joey Aguilar at UCLA.

If Iamaleava joins the Bruins, could Aguilar, who transferred to UCLA from Appalachian State, look to transfer again?

But these are all Plan B options if every proven starter says no.

“Taking Steve Angeli does not mean you’re making him your starter,” Staples said. “You would go to him and you’d say, ‘Listen, you can compete with Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre. We’re not guaranteeing you anything.’”

That brings us back to Tennessee’s quarterback room.

You might be wondering, “Why can’t we roll with Merklinger and MacIntyre?”

That could be the end result.

We know Tennessee needs to add another quarterback — Heupel said so on Saturday.

If Merklinger or MacIntyre ends up starting, things could work out fine.

But remember: Tennessee had planned for Iamaleava to start in 2025 with the hopes that Merklinger, MacIntyre, or 2026 commit Faizon Branden would be ready to take over in 2026.

Is Merklinger or MacIntyre ready to take over NOW?

That’s a big ask considering neither player has real SEC experience.

Especially with Tennessee’s unproven group of wide receivers and newly formed offensive line.

Heupel and his staff have a big task in reshaping the offense’s plan for 2025.

They’re highly motivated to figure it out.

RICK BARNES’ FIVE-STAR PLAN

The other big story to watch: Tennessee’s pursuit of five-star basketball recruit Nate Ament.

Travis Branham of 247Sports put in a Crystal Ball prediction for Tennessee on Thursday.

He believes Tennessee has passed Duke, Kentucky, Arkansas and Louisville for Ament.

Ament would be a major addition for Rick Barnes’ team.

He’s a consensus top-five prospect in the 2025 class and projected top-five pick in next year’s NBA draft.

Tennessee has signed a bunch of big-time prospects under Barnes.

Ament would outrank all of them as an incoming player.

Ament has not set a timeline for his decision, but Austin Price of Volquest told us Wednesday that he expects an announcement soon.

“I would be shocked if we got through the weekend and he’s not committed somewhere,” Price said.

Price told us that Barnes, associate head coach Justin Gainey and the staff visited Ament earlier this week.

The Vols have made a strong push for Ament — and it might just pay off.

Tennessee remains in the running for guard Rodney Rice from Maryland and forward Elyjah Freeman from Lincoln Memorial.

We’ve all wondered: how will Tennessee replace the talent lost from the last two Elite Eight teams?

We’re still waiting on an official answer — but Barnes’ plan looks like a good one.

ONE OTHER NOTE

While Tennessee’s staff looks for help at quarterback (and other positions), UT’s players continue their prep for the upcoming season.

Iamaleava was expected to take on a bigger leadership role this year.

His departure creates a void in that department.

Jayson Swain explained why other players need to step up with the uncertainty surrounding Tennessee’s team.

“Who are you? Or who are you willing to be?” Swain asked.

Check out this week’s segment as Swain shared his own experience stepping into a leadership role before the 2006 season. ⬇️

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Thank you for reading!