For a college football head coach, what’s a better gift than a confirmation from a recruit that can secure the future of their program? Tennessee HC Josh Heupel celebrated his 48th birthday on March 22. On the same day, a class of 2028 quarterback announced an unofficial visit to observe spring practices.

Sam Sollie will be visiting Knoxville on March 23 to have another look at Josh Heupel’s program. He had earlier visited Rocky Top on October 11. This ties Tennessee with Alabama for the most unofficial visits he has taken.

“Excited to be back in Knoxville visiting the Vols!” Sollie wrote in an X post.

The Gadsden City High School quarterback has the frame and talent that Coach Heupel prefers in his signal-callers. At 6’3″, he has the desired high release and vertical passing strength that make him fit into the mold of big-armed QBs that the Vols like. Both Joe Milton and Nico Iamaleava fit that.

In his sophomore year at his high school, Sollie threw for 1,318 passing yards and 13 touchdowns. More importantly, he threw just one interception. The Alabama native continues to draw significant interest from in-state teams. Both Auburn and Alabama have shown active interest in the relationship-building stage of his recruitment. Even Tulane and Samford are in the line. At this point, his recruitment is at the ‘cool’ stage, but the unofficial visits may take that to the ‘warm’ status.

Sollie’s pursuit is significant for Coach Heupel because the Vols only have one quarterback in their 2027 class. The three-star quarterback Derrick Baker committed to the program last month. That leaves a lot of room for a big-name signing in the 2028 class.

Josh Heupel is keeping the 2026 QB position open

Joey Aguilar was the Tennessee Vols’ starting QB in the 2025 season. He led the SEC in passing with 3,565 yards covered, 24 TDs, and 10 INTs. However, he was ruled ineligible for 2026 due to the exhaustion of his NCAA Division I eligibility, as he played two JUCO seasons at Diablo Valley CC and two at App State.

Aguilar sued the NCAA in Knox County Chancery Court. The Tennessee QB argued that JUCO years shouldn’t count toward his four-year DI limit. Yet, Judge Christopher D. Heagerty denied his preliminary injunction on Feb 20, 2026. This not only ended Aguilar’s college career but also left a vacant starting position for Josh Heupel to fill.

There are three QBs on the roster to fill his shoes. Heupel has George MacIntyre, Faizon Brandon, and Ryan Staub. Five-star QB Faizon Brandon put on a good show at day 1 practice on March 16, 2026. However, Heupel didn’t crown him the QB for 2026 straightaway.

“It is open. We had that conversation with all of them as we started winter and they all arrived here,” Heupel said about the starting QB role in his media interview after Day 1 of spring practice. “We had that conversation again as we wrapped up winter and got into spring ball. Don’t expect a guy (starting quarterback) to be named here during the course of the spring ball.”

The uncertainty surrounding Tennessee’s 2026 quarterback situation makes long-term planning important for Josh Heupel. That’s why the timing of Sam Sollie’s visit adds another layer to the birthday-week development.