Tennessee Among Contenders For Jake Merklinger

Quarterback Jake Merklinger is one of the biggest risers in the recruiting industry, and Tennessee is among his top choices.

If there's a top quarterback with an open recruitment, Tennessee should be involved. Head coach Josh Heupel has spent two seasons building foundational pillars that allow them to pitch quarterbacks easily; all he needs to do is show them a stat sheet.

Quarterback Jake Merklinger has recently caught his attention, but Heupel isn't the only one with an eye for talent. Georgia offered Merklinger within the last week; seeing as the Bulldogs are his home-state team, that could be a temptation that's difficult to pass on. 

On3's Chad Simmons recently spoke about where things stand in Merklinger's recruitment. Quarterbacks often have different timelines than other prospects, opting to commit early to secure the sole quarterback spot in a recruiting class. However, Merklinger appears to be on a different timeline. With his stock on the raise, it seems Merklinger wants to keep playing the field and see how different coaches treat him.

4⭐️ QB Jake Merklinger is one of the top signal-callers in the 2024 cycle. @ChadSimmons_ discusses the schools in the mix for Merklinger’s commitment.

Read (On3+): https://t.co/NQ3I0LFXkxpic.twitter.com/EJcSJtlWp8

— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) February 9, 2023

Simmons mentioned Tennessee as a contender for Merklinger. He took a trip to Knoxville on October 29, the weekend of the Kentucky game. The Volunteers beat the Wildcats 44-6, and quarterback Hendon Hooker threw for 245 yards and three touchdowns.

Merklinger is one of the most explosive quarterbacks in the country. He throws an excellent deep ball and has a strong pocket presence, enabling him to create extended windows to find the open man downfield. He also is one of the most athletic signal callers in the class with experience running quarterback reads in the run game.

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