Jake Merklinger Provides Big-Play Upside To Tennessee's Offense

2024 quarterback Jake Merklinger committed to the Tennessee Volunteers on Thursday. Merklinger brings a lot to like to the Vols quarterback room and fits the Josh Heupel mold.

The University of Tennessee got a big addition on Thursday, welcoming 2024 quarterback commit Jake Merklinger. He is the sixth pledge in the class for the Vols, joining other offensive commits like tight end Jonathan Echols and wide receiver JJ Harrell.

He hails from Savannah, Georgia, and brings plenty of ability to the quarterback room. It will be a tough road to snaps; Joe Milton III has a firm grip on the starting job this season, and parked right behind him is blue-chip prospect Nico Iamaleava. Nonetheless, coaches are going to bring competition in to challenge everyone, so Merklinger's commitment brings a healthy edge to a talented room.

He accounted for 36 total touchdowns as a junior, 32 of them with his arm. Merklinger threw just two interceptions in 145 attempts, measuring a 1.3% turnover rate. He didn't have much volume in his most recent season, but Merklinger had 250 attempts as a freshman and 274 as a sophomore.

Merklinger is prone to the big play. His high school offense ran a lot of twin sets, letting him work frontside concepts into backside reads, depending on what the defense gave him. It's a natural transition into Tennessee's offense; they want quarterbacks with long frames to stand in and deliver throws outside the numbers.

The fit is uncanny. Merklinger spent a lot of interviews referencing Hendon Hooker and his success with head coach Josh Heupel and offensive coordinator Joey Halzle; there's a reason for that. Merklinger and Hooker look identical, standing in their pocket and operating through their process. They trust their offensive linemen to allow time, which can work well behind strong units up front.

He's a passer first; Merklinger breaks out of structure only when he has to. However, when he gets outside the play, he's capable of some athletic feats. Merklinger uses his 6-3 frame to outlast defenders and has the speed to ruin some closing angles. He won't be a designed runner in college frequently, but Merklinger could be used situationally in quarterback run calls. His best trait would be extending plays and keeping something alive downfield, though we need to see him do it more frequently to get a definitive answer.

Jake Merklinger, 2024 QB

There will be some growing pains when he gets to college. Merklinger must ensure he's consistently delivering through his front feet when pressure finds him; balls fade off his fingers and lose height because he throws his arm without engaging his base. Adjusted sample size is also necessary before projecting to the next level; he averaged a tick over 12 attempts per game this year.

The Vols coaching staff strongly ensures quarterbacks have every answer when preparing during game week. They prepped Milton well before the Orange Bowl victory over Clemson and had a lot of simple designs that kept him within his first two front-side reads. However, they can't defeat elite teams by staying on those free, designed concepts. The quarterback that advances beyond winning the pre-snap battle will get snaps, and Merklinger must learn how to before he enters serious starting conversations.

He has an important upcoming senior season ahead of him. Merklinger added five offers after his junior season and spent the offseason becoming a national recruit. All four major recruiting services tabbed him as a top-100 recruit, and he got some late interest from prestigious programs like Georgia and North Carolina. College coaching staffs are intrigued with who he could be after some development, and a strong final season at Calvary Day School would be a strong omen before he heads off to Rocky Top.

Tennessee's 2024 Recruiting Class

• Jake Merklinger, QB
• JJ Harrell, WR
• Jonathan Echols, TE
• Carson Gentle, DL
• Kaleb Beasley, CB
• Marcus Goree, S

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