For a second consecutive spring, Tennessee has a midyear enrollee as its second-string quarterback.
For a second consecutive spring, the newcomer seems to have an early hang of it.
Jake Merklinger arrived in December without the same fanfare as Nico Iamaleava a year ago but with the same objective of putting himself in position to play should the starter get hurt. Iamaleava backed up sixth-year senior Joe Milton III last season before getting his first career start in the Citrus Bowl rout of Iowa, but first came the early days of learning Josh Heupel's up-tempo offense.
"It's definitely slowed down for me a little bit," Merklinger said in a recent news conference. "The adjustment for sure was there going from high school to college. It was definitely much faster, but the coaches here have helped me a lot with that."
The Volunteers scrimmaged Wednesday, which served as their sixth spring practice, and are off through Easter weekend.
Though he didn't match Iamaleava's five-star status, Merklinger was plenty impressive throughout his career at Calvary Day School in Savannah, Georgia. He compiled a 42-10 record and tallied 145 total touchdowns, amassing 113 through the air and 32 on the ground.
Merklinger threw for 3,028 yards with 38 touchdowns and only two interceptions as a Calvary Day senior. He was a four-year starter who eventually became a solid four-star recruit, and the 6-foot-3, 205-pounder hasn't taken long to immerse himself in his new surroundings.
"He's a really athletic guy who has high, high intelligence," Tennessee offensive coordinator Joey Halzle said. "The guys love him already. He's one of these guys who just kind of fits right in and gets into the mold. He has picked it up really, really quickly, which was great to see from us."
Since the start of spring drills, Merklinger has not only received tutelage from Heupel and Halzle, a pair of former Oklahoma quarterbacks, but from former Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning, who visited with the team recently.
"That was super cool to see such a Tennessee legend like Peyton Manning," Merklinger said. "It was really cool to just hear from him, hear how he played the game and his advice to us."
Iamaleava wound up playing four regular-season games before his big moment in the Citrus Bowl. The first-year script for Merklinger is months away from being written, but he seems to be preparing for whatever scenario might come his way.
"A lot of times with young guys, you think you know them going through the recruiting process," Halzle said, "but it's not until you get him in here, get him in the room, and you start working with him and seeing him take it to the field. He's going out there and calling his protections correctly, calling the plays, and getting us in the right plays and right checks.
"It's been good to watch him do that. It's impressive for a young guy."
Utley commits
Tennessee received a commitment Thursday night from Ethan Utley, a 6-4, 265-pound defensive lineman from Nashville's Ensworth High School. Utley, the state's fourth-ranked player according to 247Sports.com, is the seventh commitment for the Vols in the 2025 signing cycle.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.