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Vols end spring practices with Orange & White Game

Vols end spring practices with Orange & White Game

USA Today12-04-2025

Vols end spring practices with Orange & White Game
Tennessee concluded spring practices Saturday with its 2025 Orange and White game presented by Cherokee Resorts & Entertainment at Neyland Stadium.
The Orange and White teams tied, 14-14.
The Vols entered the game with multiple student-athletes not playing, forcing head coach Josh Heupel to run the event as a 15th and final spring practice.
Overshadowing happenings on the field was the departure of redshirt sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who was not at practice Friday. He announced his intention to enter the NCAA transfer portal when it re-opens April 16.
Iamaleava's departure leaves the Vols with two returning quarterbacks in redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and freshman midterm enrollee George MacIntyre, an in-state player who recently graduated from Brentwood Academy in Nashville, Tennessee.
Early enrollees posted some stellar performances in the game Saturday.
MacIntyre totaled three touchdown passes, while Merklinger finished with one touchdown. Freshman tight end Jack Van Dorselaer, another early enrollee, recorded three touchdown receptions and Radarious Jackson had one.
MacIntyre completed two scoring passes to Van Dorselaer and one to Jackson. Merklinger's touchdown pass was completed by Van Dorselaer.

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