9 quarterbacks that Tennessee football could target in transfer portal

Tennessee football's 2026 quarterback depth chart is dwindling, which likely puts the Vols in the transfer market.

UT starter Joey Aguilar has exhausted his eligibility unless there's movement in the Diego Pavia lawsuit challenging the NCAA eligibility rules for former junior college players. Time is running out on that possibility. And redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger plans to enter the transfer portal.

That leaves only George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon on the projected 2026 depth chart. The Vols need at least three scholarship quarterbacks on the roster, so expect them to add one from the portal unless Aguilar's situation changes.

MacIntyre has played only two games as a freshman, completing 7 of 9 passes for 69 yards. Brandon was a five-star signee in the 2026 class, but he hasn't played in college yet.

Tennessee could get a surefire starter in the portal, but he would come at a high price in NIL money in a very competitive market. Another option is getting a more affordable second-tier transfer who could compete with MacIntyre and Brandon for the QB1 job.

Here are some quarterbacks planning to enter the portal that UT could consider in each category.

These quarterbacks are surefire starters but hard to get

Sam Leavitt (Arizona State)

Sam Leavitt is a proven passer and winner who started his career at Michigan State and played the last two seasons at Arizona State. He has completed 61% of his passes for 4,652 yards, 36 TDs and 11 interceptions in his career. And he has rushed for 816 yards and 10 TDs.

In 2024, Leavitt passed for 2,885 yards, 24 TDs and six interceptions while leading Arizona State to the College Football Playoff. And he was having a similarly strong season in 2025 before suffering a foot injury that ended his year.

Leavitt has two seasons of eligibility. But he'd likely head to the NFL after the 2026 season if he played well at his new school.

Indiana, Oregon, LSU and Miami are reportedly early favorites to land Leavitt. But there are several moving pieces that could have a domino effect in the transfer quarterback market.

Brendan Sorsby (Cincinatti)

Brendan Sorsby has passed for 7,208 yards, 60 TDs and 18 interceptions in his career, including two seasons at Indiana (with a redshirt) and the past two seasons at Cincinnati. And he has rushed for 1,305 yards and 22 TDs. He has tossed more than one interception in only three of his 35 career games.

In the 2025 season at Cincinnati, Sorsby passed for 2,800 yards, 27 TDs and five interceptions. He ranked second in the Big 12 in passer rating. And he rushed for 580 yards and nine TDs.

Sorsby would be a great fit for Tennessee. He's an accurate passer who rarely throws interceptions, and he can run the ball. Last summer, Sorsby told ESPN's Greg McElroy that Tennessee's Neyland Stadium is where he'd love to play a game because he watched a couple of games there as a kid. And he has one season of eligibility remaining, which increases UT's chances of keeping MacIntyre and Brandon through 2026, at least.

But it appears Texas Tech is the favorite to get Sorsby. His girlfriend, a volleyball player, is transferring from Cincinnati to Texas Tech, the Houston Chronicle reported. Texas Tech has deep pockets in NIL money, so Tennessee could be priced out of the Sorsby sweepstakes.

Drew Mestemaker (North Texas)

Drew Mestemaker led the FBS with 4,129 yards passing and ranked third in passer rating, behind Heisman Trophy finalist Julian Sayin and Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza. He completed 70% of his passes with 31 TD passes and seven interceptions, earning the American Conference Offensive Player of the Year award.

North Texas coach Eric Morris was hired at Oklahoma State, so the Cowboys are a favorite to land Mestemaker. He is only a redshirt freshman with three seasons of eligibility remaining. If UT got him, it could chase away MacIntyre and eventually Brandon. The question is whether Mestemaker would be worth that risk.

DJ Lagway (Florida)

DJ Lagway was a five-star recruit and the No. 2 quarterback in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports Composite. At Florida, he displayed flashes of elite talent but also inconsistency, a rash of turnovers and tendency for injuries.

Lagway completed 62% of his passes for 4,179 yards, 28 TDs and 23 interceptions over two seasons with the Gators. And he rushed for 237 yards and one TD. In the 2025 season, Lagway passed for 2,264 yards, 16 TDs and 14 interceptions, which led the SEC.

Lagway would be an intriguing project if coach Josh Heupel can tap into his talent and reduce his interceptions. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining. LSU, Miami and Baylor reportedly are early frontrunners for Lagway.

Dylan Raiola (Nebraska)

Dylan Raiola was a five-star recruit and the No. 3 rated quarterback in the 2024 class. He has spent the last two seasons at Nebraska. In November, he suffered a season-ending broken fibula, so any team picking him up must consider that.

Raiola has completed 69% of his passes for 4,819 yards, 31 TDs and 17 interceptions over two seasons. In the 2025 season, he completed 72% of his passes for 2,000 yards, 18 TDs and six interceptions.

Raiola has two seasons of eligibility. He is a five-star talent who sometimes appeared to turn the corner as an accurate, productive passer this season. But he isn't a finished product, so his market value is debatable.

CJ Bailey (NC State)

CJ Bailey is reportedly a potential portal entry, but he hasn't announced his decision. The sophomore has been NC State's starter almost since day one. He has passed for 5,297 yards, 40 TDs and 19 interceptions in his career. And he has rushed for 494 yards and 10 TDs.

In 2025, Bailey completed 70% of his passes for 2,884 yards, 23 TDs and nine interceptions. He has two seasons of eligibility.

Bailey is less proven than other quarterbacks in the surefire starter category. But the Vols wouldn't take Bailey unless they intended to start him.

These quarterbacks could compete for the starting job

Colton Joseph (Old Dominion)

Colton Joseph would be similar to Aguilar's status when he arrived at Tennessee. He would be the frontrunner to start, but he would have to earn it in a legitimate competition with MacIntyre and Brandon. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Like Aguilar, Joseph lit it up at the mid-major level. He was the 2025 Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year. He passed for 2,624 yards, 21 TDs and 10 interceptions. And he's a true dual-threat quarterback, rushing for 1,007 yards and 10 TDs in 2025.

Aidan Chiles (Michigan State)

Aidan Chiles would be a one-year reclamation project. After starting his career at Oregon State, he started 20 games at Michigan State before losing his job to a redshirt freshman this season.

In his career, Chiles has passed for 4,116 yards, 27 TDs and 14 interceptions. And he has rushed for 531 yards and 12 TDs.

In the 2025 season, Chiles completed 63% of his passes for 1,392 yards, 10 TDs and three interceptions. And he added six rushing TDs before losing his starting job.

Chiles has one season of eligibility remaining. His arrival likely wouldn't threaten the future of MacIntyre and Brandon with the Vols, but he might not solve their problem in finding a 2026 starter.

Kenny Minchey (Notre Dame)

Kenny Minchey, a native of Hendersonville, Tennessee, was a four-star recruit in the 2023 class out of Pope John Paul II. He showed promise at Notre Dame, but he was squeezed out of competitions for the starting job.

In three seasons (including a redshirt year), Minchey completed 23 of 29 passes for 212 yards. And he rushed for 96 yards and two TDs.

Minchey has played only 10 games and never started. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining. If Tennessee added him, he would would compete with MacIntyre and Brandon for the starting job and round out the quarterback group.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Sam Leavitt, Colton Joseph could be Tennessee quarterback options