How Tennessee QB Commit Jake Merklinger Continues His Development

2024 four-star quarterback Jake Merklinger has been committed to the Tennessee Volunteers for months now, and the impressive passer hopes to make strides this year.

2024 Tennessee Volunteers quarterback commit Jake Merklinger (Savannah, Ga.) has had a big offseason. He chose the Vols over Georgia, Michigan State, and North Carolina in March and has been on the road since. Merklinger has been on Rocky Top three times since his decision, actively recruiting others to join him. The Tennessee staff loves Merklinger, and he brings a lot to the table in return.

Merklinger stands 6-3 and 200 pounds with a lot of lower-body mass. He generates a lot of torque in a compact motion and consistently delivers accurate balls downfield. Merklinger also throws a runnable football; receivers can easily come under the ball and track its flight. South Carolina tight end commit Michael Smith, who happens to be Merklinger's high school teammate, has made a big name for himself on the recruiting circuit because Merklinger gives him opportunities downfield. Smith is an athletic marvel, and Merklinger understands that. He's going to play with similar athletes at Tennessee, and he already understands that he must give his playmakers chances to shine.

Calvary Day School routinely puts Merklinger in quarterback-keeper scenarios. His highlight tape is littered with examples of him reading a defensive end and promptly making the correct decision. He does a good job of keeping a low center of gravity when navigating through the line of scrimmage before hitting the open field and finding his top speed. There's a ton of big-play potential with Merklinger, which is why he's such a highly-regarded recruit. However, he must accomplish a few things in his senior season before he walks into a loaded quarterback room in Knoxville.

2024 QB Jake Merklinger

Tennessee runs a very specific system, which we've covered in detail up to this point. They operate on a precise timing system that forces quarterbacks into quickly reading a frontside concept and getting the ball out of their hands. Merklinger has been allowed to play in a spaced offense that does a lot of their passing work downfield. Tennessee likes to get the ball into open space. While that offense has done an excellent job of highlighting Merklinger's skills and getting Calvary Day wins, Merklinger must continue learning how to make those quick decisions on fast-developing concepts.

The Vols also ask their quarterbacks to layer the football. Merklinger puts a lot of touch on his ball, which most young quarterbacks don't understand how to do. That's a massive step in the right direction, but he must begin consistently placing balls between the secondary and linebackers to get those players into the open field. He showed great progression in these areas in between his sophomore and junior tape, and Merklinger will continue getting ready for Tennessee this upcoming season.

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