Why Calvary Day 4-star quarterback Jake Merklinger made commitment to play for Tennessee

Calvary Day's Jake Merklinger, a four-star prospect and one of the most sought after recruits in the nation, announced Thursday that he has committed to play at Tennessee.

The 6-foot-3, 195-pound junior had narrowed down his choices to the Volunteers, Georgia, Michigan State and North Carolina -- and he put an end to the speculation when he donned a floppy Tennessee hat to announce his decision in front of a packed gym at Calvary Day around noon.

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Merklinger, who is ranked as the No. 6 quarterback in the country by 247Sports, said the chance to play for head coach Josh Heupel, who was the Heisman Trophy runnerup as a quarterback at Oklahoma in 2000, and offensive coordinator/QB coach Joey Halzle, who was also a star quarterback in his playing days at Oklahoma, weighed heavily in his decision.

"To play for those two guys who played quarterback at a very, very high level meant a lot to me," Merklinger said. "And being from the South -- to be able to play for an SEC program in front of 100,000 fans every Saturday -- I'm excited for it."

As a junior, Merklinger threw for 1,987 yards and 32 touchdowns and just two interceptions. He ran for 283 yards and four more scores to earn Region 3-3A Player of the Year honors as he was an All-Greater Savannah first-team pick.

In three years as a starter, the 6-foot-3, 195-pounder has thrown for 6,607 yards with 75 touchdowns and 22 interceptions while completing 68 % of his passes. He has also rushed for 690 yards and 20 scores.

"Jake has that natural athleticism, but he also has all the intangibles that make for a great player, and person," Calvary Day coach Mark Stroud said. "He has great humility -- he never puts himself on a pedestal and he puts his teammates first. He has great genetics, but he also has the work ethic to consistently improve. He's a tough competitor and a great leader. I think he's the perfect fit at Tennessee where the head coach (Heupel) is going to be right in that quarterback room with him all the time."

Merklinger was relieved to commit early so he can focus on his senior season. He is also a star basketball player for the Cavaliers and is currently a standout on the lacrosse team this spring. He said he will enroll early at Tennessee next year, so he can take part in spring practices.

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"The hardest part of the recruiting process was the calls I had to make last night to tell the other schools I wouldn't be going there -- that was difficult," Merklinger said. "You build up such a great relationship with these guys like at Michigan State - I've been talking with them for 2.5 years, so that was hard. But today, I'm excited to be a Volunteer."

Mike Smith, Calvary's junior tight end who recently committed to South Carolina, joked that he would have some side bets going with his friend when they meet up in future SEC games.

"I might bet Jake that he won't throw for 300 yards against us, and that we'll win," said Smith, who is also a 4-star prospect. "But Jake is such a great quarterback -- he throws me open all the time and makes the game so easy. He's also a great friend."

Junior receiver Caden Arnold has known Merklinger since they were in seventh grade, and he was on hand to pose for photos and support his quarterback and best friend.

"Jake is a great friend because he always puts others first," Arnold said. "Even now, he's trying to help me get recruited. He's so athletic and has an accurate arm, but I think an underrated part of his game is his running ability. He can beat you in a lot of different ways."

Merklinger said he is focused on accomplishing one more thing as a high school player.

"We want to win a state championship," said Merklinger, whose teams have lost in the state quarterfinals the last two seasons. "I'm not afraid to say it. We have a lot of talent coming back and we want to win that state title."

Stroud said he had been talking about Jake with his fellow coaches and friends, and mentioned how strange it seemed that Merklinger will be coming back for his fourth season as a starter.

"We were saying 'He does get to come back and play for us again this Fall,' " Stroud said. "We're blessed to have another year coaching Jake and we're really looking forward to it."

Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Calvary's Jake Merklinger, one of top QBs in nation, commits to Tennessee