For the third time in five years under Josh Heupel, Tennessee is turning to a transfer to start at quarterback. Former Appalachian State star Joey Aguilar, who spent spring practice at UCLA, beat redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger in a training camp battle for the right to lead the Vols as they look to follow up their first College Football Playoff appearance in program history.
In order to do that, Tennessee is going to need a lot more from its offense — especially through the air. The Vols have lagged behind in that department since former transfer success Hendon Hooker ran out of eligibility following a breakout 2022 campaign.
From 2023-24, Tennessee has finished no better than eighth in the SEC in yards passing after leading the conference in 2022. The Vols’ air attack managed a paltry 221.2 yards per game last season, which ranked 12th out of an expanded 16 teams and second-worst among teams that actually made the playoff.
Joey Aguilar named Tennessee’s starting QB: UCLA transfer takes over after departure of Nico Iamaleava
Jordan Dajani
It’s clear that Tennessee needs to be better, especially given coach Josh Heupel’s track record. But is Aguilar Tennessee’s best chance to right the ship?
He started his Tennessee career behind the 8-ball. Aguilar missed all of spring practice thanks to the timing of Tennessee losing former starter Nico Iamaleava, so he had to quickly catch upwhile learning Tennessee’s playbook over the summer.
Aguilar also hasn’t had much of a chance to establish chemistry with Tennessee’s expected first-team wide receivers. Braylon Staley, Chris Brazzell II and Mike Matthews all missed different amounts of time during fall camp, and there was not a moment that all three were healthy.
Pair that with the inexperience at wide receiver — Brazzell is the only option on Tennessee’s roster with more than seven catches in his career — and there could be some growing pains for the passing offense early in the year, especially against a schedule front loaded with an early clash against Georgia (Sept. 13).
In spite of the obstacles, Aguilar, by all accounts, did a great job of acclimating to Tennessee. Heupel continuously praised Aguilar’s comfort and leadership and his continued growth in the offense.
“I thought he handled himself very well,” Heupel said of Aguilar after Tennessee’s second fall scrimmage. “That’s today. I think he’s gotten better from Day 1 up until today’s scrimmage every single day. Comfort. Control. He’s handled himself extremely well during our night walkthroughs, which is mental focus, a mental sweat. Because of that, he’s extremely comfortable in what we’re doing right now.”
So long as Aguilar can actually catch up, his game seems like a good fit for Tennessee’s offense. Most importantly, he brings a wealth of experience from 24 starts at App State.
Tennessee’s starters in 2023 and 2024 — Joe Milton and Iamaleava, respectively — were both rather thin on playing time when they took the offense’s reins. There’s some natural growing pains with that level of inexperience. Aguilar shouldn’t have that problem.
Aguilar has also demonstrated that he’s not afraid to make quick reads and, in some cases, take risks. He had 24 interceptions over his two years at App State, which is a concern.
🏈 Joey Aguilar under center at Appalachian State
| Season | Games Started | Completion % | Passing Yards | Yards per Game | Passing TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 13 (14 played) | 63.7 % | 3,757 | 268.4 | 33 | 10 |
| 2024 | 11 | 55.9 % | 3,003 | 273.0 | 23 | 14 |
That also means he’s willing to get the ball out quickly. Both Milton and Iamaleava struggled to process at times. Any hitches in a quarterback’s progression can disrupt the rhythm of Tennessee’s tempo offense.
That same tempo attack, with the rehearsed reads and strict route patterns that make it easy for a quarterback to see the field, inherently limits turnovers. Tennessee has not had a quarterback throw more than five interceptions in a single season under Heupel.
Aguilar isn’t an elite runner, but he is mobile and able to make plays outside of the pocket. He had 452 yards and five touchdowns on the ground over the past two years. Hooker, especially, flourished with his ability to run the ball when passing options weren’t available.
The pairing of Aguilar and Tennessee was, in a way, born out of desperation following Iamaleava’s unexpected post-spring exit. But the Vols may have found a great fit for their offense and a quarterback that can, at the very least, add some excitement to a stagnant passing attack.
They’ll find out quickly what kind of player Aguilar is when they open the season against Syracuse in less than two weeks.
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