Tennessee's Sole Focus Is Now George MacIntyre
Tennessee was always aware of George MacIntyre. The Nashville resident has football embedded into his family timeline, and he quickly caught on at nearby Brentwood Academy. The junior passer became a national name, with blue-blood programs like Alabama, LSU, and Michigan giving chase. The Vols offered MacIntyre on August 27th, 2022, becoming his fifth offer at the time.
They kept tabs on him throughout his sophomore season of high school before turning up the heat in January. The coaching staff has long felt he is the best quarterback in the 2025 cycle and treats him appropriately. He reciprocates their energy and has been high on the in-state program from day one. While the early energy between the two was notable, other names have always been on the radar.
The field is wide open during the first two years of high school - no one has committed, and most prospects are open to taking different visits and getting new experiences. Tennessee was in close communication with several different names at the quarterback position in 2025: Antwann Hill, Cutter Boley, and KJ Lacey were three early candidates who received some attention.
The big name that Tennessee also went after was Deuce Knight, a Mississippi southpaw with freakish basketball athleticism. The coaching staff is high on Knight and got him on campus early on. There was talk that the Vols were content with Knight committing before MacIntyre if he so chose, which ended up happening. Knight ended his recruitment on Monday, committing to Notre Dame. The four-star was high on head coach Marcus Freeman and the direction in South Bend, Indiana. Now, most names are accounted for in the 2025 quarterback landscape.
247Sports Composite Quarterback Rankings
- No. 1: Bryce Underwood, Uncommitted
- No. 2: George MacIntyre, Uncommitted
- No. 3: KJ Lacey, Texas Commit
- No. 4: Antwann Hill, Uncommitted
- No. 5: Deuce Knight, Notre Dame Commit
- No. 6: Akili Smith Jr., Oregon Commit
- No. 7: Husan Longstreet, Uncommitted
- No. 8: Tavien St. Clair, Ohio State Commit
The board gets a lot smaller for Tennessee after MacIntyre. If they want to get an elite passer in 2025, and their efforts have indicated that they do, then we would be talking about either a flip or a late surge with one of these top names. MacIntyre isn't a slam dunk for Tennessee by any stretch. Alabama is a favorite, and the Crimson Tide have recruited him well. Game visits will be important this year, and Tennessee must find a way to continue getting statistical production out of the passing game. If MacIntyre sees that head coach Josh Heupel can continue getting production with any quarterback, the Vols greatly improve their odds.
5-star QB George MacIntyre during a game on August 25th, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Denny Simmons of The Tennessean)
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