The move of quarterback Nico Iamaleava from Tennessee to UCLA was one of the offseason’s most dramatic transfer portal stories. The novelty of Iamaleava’s transfer largely overshadowed that of Joey Aguilar, a quarterback who made the opposite move, transferring from UCLA to Tennessee.
While DeShaun Foster has been clear about Iamaleava’s role with the Bruins for some time, Josh Heupel has given little indication as to who will start for the Volunteers — that is, until Sunday. Aguilar has officially “won” the starting spot, multiple sources confirmed to Tennessee On3 affiliate Volquest.
“I thought he handled himself extremely well,” head coach Josh Heupel said of Aguilar Friday. “That’s today, but I think he’s got better, from day one up until today’s scrimmage. Really every single day. Comfort and control. He’s handled himself extremely well during our night walkthroughs, which is mental focus, mental sweat. And because of that, he’s extremely comfortable in what we’re doing right now.”
The senior was competing with true freshman George MacIntyre and redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger for the starting quarterback job. Aguilar knew expectations in Knoxville were high, but the 24-year-old had a very specific focus upon arriving.
“Just put my nose down and grind,” Aguilar said. “I came in with a short amount of time to learn the playbook. My goal was to be in here every day and get the details of the playbook down, watching film from last season and the spring to see how things are ran. The coaches helped me a lot with that.”
Aguilar played two seasons at Appalachian State, where he threw for 3,757 yards and 33 touchdowns in 2023, and for 3,003 yards and 29 touchdowns last season. He transferred to UCLA in December, but was back in the portal by April. The quarterback committed to the Volunteers April 21, just one day after Iamaleava committed to UCLA.
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp