What Josh Heupel said about George MacIntyre in Tennessee football vs New Mexico State
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George MacIntyre took his first snap and faked a handoff.
The backup quarterback rolled to his right and flung a short pass to wide receiver Cole Harrison for Tennessee football against New Mexico State.
"I thought he went out there and handled himself well," Vols coach Josh Heupel said.
MacIntyre led two drives at quarterback for No. 20 Tennessee (7-3) in the fourth quarter of its 42-9 win against the Aggies (3-7) at Neyland Stadium on Nov. 15. The freshman was 1-for-2 passing for 17 yards.
"Limited time just the way the fourth quarter unfolded," Heupel said. "George has continued to get better in the reps that he gets during practice. … But all in all, he’s continued to grow.”
It marked MacIntyre's second opportunity in a game for the Vols. He played previously in UT's 72-17 win against ETSU on Sept. 6. He was 6-for-7 passing for 52 yards in his debut.
Heupel said MacIntyre received "a heavier load" of practice reps during the open week following Tennessee's 33-27 loss to Oklahoma on Nov. 1 before the Vols got back on the field two weeks later. He was the third quarterback to play against New Mexico State, following starter Joey Aguilar and redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger.
Aguilar was 17-for-23 passing for 204 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions. Merklinger was 1-for-2 for minus-2 yards on his lone drive before MacIntyre received more playing time.
"He got a couple reps out there," Aguilar said. "Probably didn’t get (as many) as he wanted. Time on the clock kind of took away from that. He is dialed in —into his details of what he has to accomplish and I can’t wait to see when he got the full-go.”
The Vols went three-and-out on MacIntyre's first drive after he couldn't connect with Radarious Jackson on a third-and-10. The Aggies strung together an 11-play drive that sapped 4:22 off the clock before a turnover on downs got MacIntyre back in to hand off the ball three times.
MacIntyre is expected to be in the mix to start at quarterback for Tennessee in the 2026 season. The Vols have a commitment from Faizon Brandon, who is the No. 7 prospect and No. 3 quarterback in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite.
The 6-foot-6, 195-pound MacIntyre was ranked as a four-star prospect in the 247Sports Composite.
He was the No. 13 quarterback prospect and the No. 151 overall recruit nationally. When he committed in January 2024, MacIntyre was ranked as the No. 15 player in the country and the No. 3 QB.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: George MacIntyre has 'continued to grow' for Tennessee football
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