Tennessee’s starting quarterback trade is official. Joey Aguilar is the team’s Week 1 starter.
The Volunteers announced Sunday night that Aguilar had won the offseason quarterback competition despite getting a late start. The UCLA transfer arrived in Knoxville in the spring after Nico Iamaleava’s transfer.
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Iamaleava’s departure directly led to Aguilar’s transfer. After starting for the Vols in 2024, Iamaleava made the decision to transfer during spring practices. NIL payments were reportedly a part of the dispute, though Iamaleava has denied that money had anything to do with the decision.
A California native, Iamaleava transferred to UCLA. That’s where Aguilar had transferred to earlier in the offseason. But once Iamaleava arrived in Los Angeles and became the presumptive starter, UCLA’s QB room became too crowded.
And Tennessee was in need of a QB. So Aguilar transferred to Knoxville and is set to start against Syracuse on Aug. 30.
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Before his brief time at UCLA, Aguilar was a two-year starter at Appalachian State. He threw for 3,003 yards and 23 TDs with 14 interceptions in 2024. In 2023, he was 293-of-460 passing for 3,757 yards and 33 TDs with 10 interceptions. He’s also rushed for 456 yards in his career with five TDs on the ground.
