Tennessee blurs QB who threw INT in football practice video: Watch it here

Tennessee went to some unusual lengths to protect the mystery quarterback who threw an interception in a recent football practice.

Tennessee really doesn't want you to see which quarterback threw that interception at a recent practice. | Tennessee Football on X

Tennessee wants to protect its new-look quarterback room from all possible criticism before the season starts, even going as far as to practice a little light censorship.

Over the weekend, the Vols football team’s X account posted a video of defensive back Colton Hood intercepting a pass at practice, but who threw that pick remains a mystery.

That’s because Tennessee’s media team blurred out the quarterback responsible for the throw in the video they posted online.

🏈🦅@Colton_Hood2023 | #GBO 🍊 pic.twitter.com/cBxpAjCKCW

— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) August 3, 2025

Clearly, the Vols aren’t interested in any unsolicited feedback from fans or critics about the state of the team’s ongoing quarterback competition.

But then, as the week began, Blur Gate took another interesting turn.

According to On3 Sports analyst J.D. PicKell, the player in the red no-contact jersey may not even be a quarterback at all.

“I have it on extremely good authority that the player blurred out in that video is not the quarterback who threw the interception,” PicKell said in a video.

“Rather, it is a player in a non-contact jersey due to injury — some are suspecting starting tight end Miles Kitselman — that Tennessee said, ‘You know what? We’re just gonna blur it out. We don’t want attention drawn to our starting tight end being in a red jersey.'”

PicKell then backed up his claim with a picture of what appears to be the blurred pick-thrower in question, this time unblurred, with the player appearing to be Kitselman.

Case closed https://t.co/rBAzFkbJjc pic.twitter.com/nkl1EiouNZ

— J.D. PicKell (@jdpickell) August 4, 2025

Tennessee's QB situation in 2025

Tennessee is still in the middle of what looks like a three-man competition for the starting quarterback position, although insiders believe Joey Aguilar is the favorite to win that role.

Aguilar transferred to Tennessee this spring after the Vols’ starter last season, Nico Iamaleava, surprisingly transferred to UCLA, throwing the team’s quarterback depth chart into some sudden confusion.

Aguilar clearly has the most experience of anyone in the room, spending two seasons as the starter at Appalachian State, throwing for 3,003 yards and 23 touchdowns last year, but that production also included 14 interceptions.

Redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and true freshman George MacIntyre are the Vols’ other two options, both getting extended looks in the team’s spring football scrimmage after Iamaleava’s exit.

Both of Tennessee’s two younger quarterbacks come with considerable promise.

Merklinger was originally a consensus four-star prospect back during the 2024 recruiting cycle and had a good showing in the Volunteers’ spring game earlier this year.

MacIntyre was considered the No. 15 overall quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class, according to an average of the four national recruiting services.

Merklinger is thought to be the No. 2 on the current depth chart and MacIntyre in third place behind presumptive favorite Aguilar.

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel has emphasised that the position will be open to competition leading up to the season.

“When they got back in the summer, they understood this isn’t something that’s going to be decided in June,” Heupel said.

“It’s not going to be decided in July. Got to go earn it and take it during the course of training camp.”

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