Who will replace Joe Milton III in Tennessee? 3 top candidates for Volunteers' QB1 spot in 2024

The Tennessee Volunteers and coach Josh Heupel are looking for a new starting quarterback after Joe Milton III was selected in the 2024 NFL draft.

In a loaded SEC, the Vols must improve to compete for the SEC Championship, and resolving the QB1 position is a crucial part of it. The quarterbacks currently on the Tennessee roster do not have much experience. It will be interesting to see who will be under center when their regular season begins on Aug. 31 against the Chattanooga Mocs.

Who will be the Tennessee Volunteers' starting QB in 2024?

Nico Iamaleava

Nico Iamaleava is expected to be the starting quarterback for the Tennessee Volunteers this upcoming season. He finished last season going 28-of-45 (62.2%) for 314 yards with a pair of touchdown passes while running 20 times for 71 yards (3.5 yards per attempt) with three rushing touchdowns.

Iamaleava has been in the system that coach Josh Heupel has implemented, and he should be able to step up to take the starting job.

Gaston Moore

Gaston Moore has been on the bench for his previous three seasons. He has been with the Tennessee Volunteers since the 2021 season. In the three seasons, he has gone 10-for-17 for 72 yards with an interception. However, he only ran the ball three times for four yards (1.3 yards per attempt), which all happened last season.

Moore has been doing decent in limited action, and he should be considered as the QB1 for the Vols.

Jake Merklinger

Jake Merklinger feels like the future of the quarterback position for the Tennessee Volunteers. The true freshman was a top-300 player nationally in all four major recruiting services. In his prep career, Merklinger went 42-10 with 145 total touchdowns and won the Michael Finocchiaro Memorial Outstanding Football Player Award.

The team will be building toward the future, and giving Merklinger the starting job immediately makes things a bit interesting in a tough Southeastern Conference.