When the No. 23 Tennessee Volunteers (6-3) host the New Mexico State Aggies (3-6) on Saturday, the matchup may matter less than the opportunity it brings for several freshmen to showcase their potential.
Although this is not the flashiest matchup of the weekend, the Vols have an opportunity to play some backups that otherwise haven’t seen much playing time. And with only three games remaining on the schedule, this game could be an opportunity to get a first look at some of the freshmen who will likely have a bigger role in 2026.
Freshmen to Keep An Eye On
George MacIntyre, Fr. QB
Through nine games, highly recruited freshman quarterback George MacIntyre has appeared in only one game as a Volunteer. In his first appearance, MacIntyre finished six-of-seven, completing 85.7% of his passes and throwing for 52 yards against the ETSU Buccaneers. Although he has limited experience at the collegiate level and is the third QB on the depth chart, he still has a strong shot at starting for the Volunteers in 2026 after the likely departure of Joey Aguilar.
Once rated as a five-star in the class of 2025, the backup QB dropped to a four-star during his senior year of high school. Previously, he was ranked No. 2 among quarterbacks in his class and No. 9 overall. During his junior season (high school) in 2023, he threw for 3,229 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. MacIntyre also had three touchdowns on the ground.
In addition to being highly recruited, he is also the nephew of former college football head coach Mike MacIntyre, who recently served as FIU’s head coach until 2024. Now Mike MacIntyre serves as a defensive analyst for Mississippi State.
Daune Morris, Fr. RB
Daune Morris is a freshman running back who has already appeared in three games, meaning he can play in only one more game before he loses the ability to redshirt. He is currently the fourth running back on Tennessee’s depth chart, but he has the potential to play a larger role in 2026, considering that senior RB Star Thomas has run out of eligibility.
Not only does Morris have the potential to gain more snaps at running back next season, but he also could become the team’s lead special teams return man. This season, Morris already had one kick return against UAB for a 44-yard gain. In addition, he returned three punts for 24 yards against ETSU.
Outside of special teams, he’s also gotten reps at running back this year. So far, he’s had 18 carries for 88 yards and one touchdown over the course of his three appearances.
Morris was listed as a three-star running back from Oakland High School in the class of 2025. During his senior season, he averaged 104.0 yards per game, finished with 1,144 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns, and averaged nearly 8 yards per carry.
As of now, the Volunteers don’t have a running back recruit in the class of 2026, so fans could hear Morris’ name more in the coming seasons. Saturday will likely be Morris’s final chance to get reps this season, so Saturday’s game against NMSU could be an excellent opportunity to prepare him for future roles.
Jadon Perlotte, Fr. LB
Jadon Perlotte is a freshman linebacker who has already been turning heads this season. During his first start against Kentucky, Perlotte registered one tackle and a fumble recovery. He also leveled Kentucky quarterback Cutter Boley on a two-point conversion attempt that didn’t count as a sack on the official stat sheet.
Perlotte joined his teammate Edwin Spillman as the first freshman linebackers to start a game for Tennessee since Henry To’oTo’o did so in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Jan. 2, 2020.
Unlike MacIntyre and Morris, Perlotte will no longer be eligible to redshirt, as he’s already appeared in nine games this season. However, he is poised to become a full-time starter in 2026. He currently has six tackles and two fumble recoveries this season, and he has the potential to become an eventual star player over the next few seasons.
Coming out of high school, Perlotte was rated as a four-star linebacker out of Georgia and was listed as the No. 33 linebacker in the class of 2025, according to 247Sports. In addition to playing linebacker, he also acted as his team’s safety. In 2023, Perlotte recorded 55 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, two sacks, and an interception.
