Tennessee Vols Hold First Fall Scrimmage Amid Injury Challenges

Tennessee Volunteers football held their first fall scrimmage inside Neyland Stadium, providing a near game-day environment for the team, especially the three scholarship quarterbacks — Jake Merklinger, Joey Aguilar, and George MacIntyre — who are competing for the starting position. Head coach Josh Heupel praised the quarterbacks for their progress and emphasized that while no starter has been named yet, all three have shown promising characteristics, with Aguilar and Merklinger more consistently rotating with the first and second teams. The scrimmage also highlighted challenges within the wide receiver room due to injuries, although some players like Mike Matthews participated despite minor setbacks, and tight end Miles Kitselman is expected to be ready for the season start. Defensive back Jermod McCoy, recovering from an ACL tear, took an encouraging step by joining individual drills, with Heupel noting his strong rehab progress and the positive morale boost it provided. Heupel stressed the importance of mastering the subtle details of the game during camp and acknowledged the ongoing growth and adjustments needed before the season opener against Syracuse. Overall, the team is focused on building consistency and readiness through simulated game conditions and controlled situational drills as they approach the season.