Despite there being three games left in the season for Tennessee football, plenty of people are starting to turn the page to next year now that the College Football Playoff is out of reach. It's a bummer, but the 2025 campaign won't result in a second straight trip to the CFP.
Because of that, some fans are wondering which guys will decide to enter the transfer portal once it opens up in January. There's been plenty of speculation about Boo Carter, but he's not the only one. In a recent radio spot, Tennessee insider Austin Price didn't hesitate in saying that Jake Merklinger could be out the door, with not many people thinking the young quarterback will be back in Knoxville in 2026:
"Most people don't believe that Jake Merklinger is going to be here past January.