Jake Merklinger began to notice it three quarters of the way through spring practices last April.

A newly arrived freshman quarterback who had expedited his last year of high school to join Tennessee's football program in December, Merklinger realized he was starting to pick up the Vols' fast-paced offense.

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It was evident in the spring game that marked the end of 15 practices that Merklinger had at least some grasp of the system. He was impressive in that outing, totaling more than 100 yards and a touchdown on 5-of-7 passing while rushing for another score on a 26-yard run.

"I think getting more developed in the offense helped slow the pace of the game down," Merklinger said on July 31. "Getting much more confident in what I'm doing, knowing my job."

A four-star prospect at Calvary Day School in Savannah, Georgia just nine months ago, Merklinger is two weeks into his first fall camp, competing for a potential second team spot behind highly touted starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

"Just growing in the pace of the game, knowing the playbook. Being defined with where I'm playing," Merklinger said. "Getting here in January was a big deal for me. Getting through spring ball, I learned a lot there and now that fall camp is here, I can kind of put a little bit of the young guy mistakes behind me."

Merklinger's handling of the offense wasn't the only area that has developed since he arrived on campus. He exited the spring with the goal of putting on more weight to prepare for the possibility of getting on the field and having to manage the wear and tear brought on by facing SEC defense.

He weighed 193 pounds when he started going through practices ahead of the Citrus Bowl in mid December but was up to 216 by the start of fall camp, a by product of a consistent diet aimed at bulking up.

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"A lot of eating, but it wasn't too bad," Merklinger said. "Our nutritionists do a good job of just kind of telling me the science behind it and what I need to do and how to do it in a healthy way."

Now Merklinger looks more of the part and his path to playing time, though hindered by a lack of experience, a former five-star recruit with more than a year-long head-start and another that is heading into his fifth season in Josh Heupel's system.

But Merklinger has hardly seen that as a road block. The balance between Iamaleava, who only a year ago was a freshman backup himself and senior Gaston Moore, has been a benefit in his transition.

"It helps a lot, just being able to learn from both of those guys," Merklinger. "Having good relationships with them off the field, but also at the same time, our whole quarterbacks room has a relationship where we can go hang out off the field, have fun and then when we're on the field, we can compete with each other and push each other to be better."

That dynamic showed up in Tennessee's first scrimmage of fall camp at Neyland Stadium last Friday.

The two showed their ability to run the offense a little more than two weeks before the Vols open their season against Chattanooga on Aug. 31 in a game that both players could realistically get reps.

"Both (Merklinger and Moore) did a great job operating the offense but they really have all training camp," Heupel said. "(Jake) Merklinger is a young guy that continues to get better every single day. He has great confidence and works extremely hard at it. He has a really good energy in the huddle. His demeanor is really positive."

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Merklinger will likely enter the season in the same spot he has been in the quarterbacks room since before spring practices, but it isn't in his nature to want to stay there.

Second-year offensive coordinator Joey Halzle picked up on as much when he was recruiting him and a had a front row seat to it when he watched him play football and basketball in high school.

"That competitive nature accompanied with (Merklinger's) intelligence allowed him to attack his offseason training on the board and in the playbook the same way he would attack the football field," Halzle said. "He has set himself up to challenge for playing time, which is hard to do in any system, in any league, for a freshman quarterback for step up for you to feel like you can just roll him in there and he's going to know how to call the play, he's going to put his eyes in the right spot.

"Is he going to have some growing pains? Absolutely. He's a guy that definitely has a chance to contribute as a freshman."

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