All eyes were on Nico Iamaleava during the annual Tennessee football Orange and White Game, but freshman quarterback Jake Merklinger made sure to grab some attention from Vol fans with his debut performance.

In the former four-star's first appearance in front of fans, he tossed and ran for a score. There seemed to be a comfort in the Vols' high-tempo offense despite the limited time he had to get adjusted.

While he isn't projected to play much of a role this season, this was a great start for what could ultimately be a bright career.

TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM

By the end of the scrimmage, Merklinger had thrown for 105 yards and a touchdown on 5-for-7 passing. This included a bomb to Chris Brazzell II in the second half. Brazzell made sure to hype up the young quarterback in front of cameras as the alma mater played following the game.

On the ground, Merklinger also scampered into the end zone. He busted a 26-yard run and avoided defenders to score. It's worth noting it's a non-contact scrimmage for quarterbacks, but the officials didn't deem anyone close enough to blow the play dead.

Including the loss of yards due to sacks, Merklinger finished with 39 rushing yards. This was the most of anyone in the game.

Head coach Josh Heupel was pleased with how Merklinger stepped up to the challenge.

What really stood out is how quickly Merklinger was able to understand what the offense is doing and apply it to the field.

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"I thought he handled himself really well," said Heupel. "That’s a young guy. You guys have heard me say it, just as a coach, I kind of break it into thirds, the 15 practices that you get during spring ball. And just his growth, fundamentally understanding what we’re doing, defensive structures and being a good decision-maker is just continuing to grow throughout the course of spring ball. So today, in front of fans and to have an opportunity to play in the stadium, I thought did a really nice job."

Iamaleava also took note of how well Merklinger handled the situation. As the starter, Iamaleava is the head of the quarterback room and naturally is asked to take the freshman under his wing.

It was a passing grade from the starter to reserve.

"Man, I think he played great," said Iamaleava. "Going into his first spring game, I thought he did a great job on operating the offense, operating our tempo. I thought he did well."

Now, Merklinger will have the summer and fall to continue his preparation. Veteran back-up Gaston Moore is likely going to be the second-string signal caller for the Vols, but having a talented freshman in the mix is certainly a positive.

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