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The Best QB Plan for the Tennessee Vols in 2025 Won’t Be Popular, But It Would Be the Smartest Approach for the Program
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The 2025 season looms large for the Tennessee Volunteers. After a rollercoaster campaign in 2024 that saw flashes of brilliance undone by inconsistency under center, the program enters a crucial juncture. Josh Heupel’s high-octane offense has captured national attention since his arrival, but with Nico Iamaleava’s surprise departure and transfer portal buzz swirling around the quarterback room, the Vols are now left with more questions than answers at the most important position in college football.
There are options—plenty, in fact. But the best plan? It’s not flashy. It won’t win over every fanbase faction. It might even draw criticism from media pundits and die-hard loyalists. Yet, it’s the most logical, sustainable, and long-term answer to stabilizing Tennessee football for the future
The smartest move Tennessee can make this fall is starting a veteran transfer quarterback—likely someone who’s played meaningful Power Five football—and redshirting their highly-touted freshman quarterback, Colton Boomer.
Yes, it’s a bitter pill to swallow for fans craving immediate fireworks and five-star heroics. Boomer is already drawing comparisons to past SEC legends. His highlight reels are electric. The temptation to throw him into the fire Week 1 will be overwhelming. But that’s precisely why Tennessee needs to resist it.
Here’s why this approach is not only sensible but essential.
Colton Boomer is the future. That much is clear. He turned down national programs—including Alabama, Penn State, and Oregon—to become the face of Rocky Top. But throwing a true freshman into the SEC meat grinder, especially one still adapting to the speed of college football, can derail a career before it even begins.
Look no further than other hyped QB recruits across the country who flamed out after early exposure. Not every 18-year-old can handle the responsibility of leading a program like Tennessee, where expectations soar and every throw is dissected by media, coaches, and fans alike.
Redshirting Boomer allows him to master Heupel’s intricate offense, build chemistry with his receivers, and physically mature for the demands of SEC defenses. By 2026, he’ll be far more equipped to lead Tennessee to real contention—not just fill a void.
Tennessee has been active in the portal, and that’s by design. Bringing in a veteran quarterback who’s had starting reps elsewhere—perhaps someone like Kansas State’s Will Howard before he landed at Ohio State or a similar player who’s proven but looking for one last shot—offers immediate stability.
These are players who’ve seen multiple defensive looks, understand how to read a blitz, and won’t crumble under pressure in Death Valley or the Swamp. It won’t be pretty every week, but that’s not the point. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s guidance, maturity, and consistency.
With Heupel calling the plays, even an average quarterback can produce 30+ points per game. Tennessee doesn’t need a superstar at the helm in 2025. It needs a placeholder who can keep the train on the tracks while the future franchise QB gets ready.
Veteran players respect experience. They gravitate toward quarterbacks who’ve taken real hits, won big games, and made smart decisions in the heat of battle. Placing a freshman in charge of juniors and seniors who have NFL dreams isn’t just risky—it can fracture a locker room.
Starting a transfer with leadership skills helps maintain cohesion. The Vols return plenty of talent at wide receiver, running back, and offensive line. They don’t need a savior—they need a steady hand.
Boomer’s time will come, and if he’s as mentally tough as scouts say, he’ll understand the value of waiting a year. The coaches must be transparent about the plan, keep communication open, and emphasize long-term growth over short-term hype.
Tennessee’s 2025 schedule is brutal. Road games at Georgia and Oklahoma, home games against Alabama and Florida, plus a likely improved Kentucky squad mean the Vols can’t afford growing pains at quarterback.
Starting Boomer would be like tossing him into shark-infested waters wearing steak-scented cologne. His confidence could take a massive hit. By contrast, a battle-tested transfer might not win every game, but he won’t get rattled after throwing a pick-six against Alabama.
Let the freshman sit, learn, and enter 2026 with a full offseason as the guy—without the bruises, physical or mental.
2025 should be a bridge year—not a desperation gamble.
If Tennessee can win 8–9 games with a veteran under center, showcase its offensive potential, and prepare Boomer to step in fully weaponized the following year, then the program sets itself up for playoff contention under the new expanded format.
Boomer will have the benefit of watching the tempo, mastering the film room, and adjusting to life as a student-athlete in Knoxville. More importantly, he won’t have the scars that often ruin young talent thrown in before they’re ready.
Heupel’s system is built around tempo and space. His success depends on players who can read quickly, react decisively, and avoid turnovers. Colton Boomer may eventually thrive in it. But there’s a big difference between can and will, especially in Year One.
The 2025 season is a chance for Heupel to show maturity as a head coach. He must manage egos, external pressure, and internal ambition. That means putting the development of a five-star prospect above the quick thrill of early exposure. That means making a choice that doesn’t light up message boards—but keeps Tennessee moving forward.
Heupel has already proven he can recruit. Now he must prove he can manage talent with patience.
Of course, Vols Nation will want to see Boomer immediately. The hype is real. Social media will clamor for his debut. Every incompletion by the transfer starter will be met with cries of “Put in the kid!”
But fans don’t see practice. They don’t see film study. They don’t understand protections and pre-snap reads. Coaches do. And if they stick with the plan, the fans will come around—especially when Boomer takes over in 2026 and starts torching defenses left and right.
If Tennessee sacrifices short-term applause for long-term dominance, they’ll finally shed the “almost there” label that’s haunted them since the Phillip Fulmer days.
The best decisions in college football are often the least flashy ones. In a sport increasingly driven by NIL deals, highlight clips, and social media noise, patience is a lost virtue. But that’s what Tennessee needs most in 2025.
Start the transfer. Redshirt Boomer. Build the program—not the press clippings.
It may not get a standing ovation in September, but come 2026, when the Vols are legitimate playoff contenders with a seasoned, confident, and fully-prepared five-star quarterback leading the charge, nobody will remember the criticism.
They’ll remember the wins.
And that’s what smart programs do—they play the long game.
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