Tennessee Volunteers tight end Miles Kitselman is a firm believer in one thing: competition. He emphasized this strongly during the SEC Media Days this week, especially regarding who will be passing him the ball this season.
In an interview with the 3HL show, Kitselman spoke candidly about the mindset of players who truly want to be part of the program and compete alongside their teammates, especially following Nico Iamaleava’s unexpected departure in April.
“Man, when that whole situation happened, we all just came together,” Kitselman said about Iamaleava’s transfer. “I’m not just saying that — it was really like, no one is bigger than the Power T. This is all we’ve got, and it’s all we need. You’re strong, I’m strong, let’s get after it. We’re going to bring in someone who wants to be here, and that’s exactly what happened. Joey’s done a great job working inside the quarterback room. Jake and George—they’re all competing hard.
I’ve been telling people all day, that’s what sports is about. Let’s compete, let’s have real competition in these rooms. When there’s a named starter, it’s often assumed they’ll start no matter what. But if backups think, ‘I’m good, I don’t need to put in extra work,’ then nothing changes. Right now, we’ve got three legit guys who can start on Saturdays. That means extra film study, extra rehab, more time on the field running walk-throughs to make sure we’ve got the offense down. When I see those guys giving it their all, how could I not match that effort as a teammate?
This whole team has bought in. We’ve got so much leadership and accountability, and I’m excited to show that on Saturdays.”
Kitselman’s perspective is clear: with no established starter, the opportunity pushes everyone to buy in and fight hard for their chance. The competition between Joey Aguilar, Jake Merklinger, and George MacIntyre promises to be intense, with no clear favorite and all three having a real shot at the job.
Looking ahead, Faizon Brandon’s arrival next season means the quarterback battle will reset for the 2026 campaign. But that’s exactly what Tennessee fans want — fierce competition driving success for the Big Orange in 2025 and beyond.
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