UCLA (and former Appalachian State) quarterback Joey Aguilar plans to enter the transfer portal, 247Sports confirms, in the latest domino to fall as a result of the Nico Iamaleava saga. Iamaleava, the top prospect in 247Sports’ transfer rankings, signed with the Bruins on Easter Sunday.
Aguilar will be sought after as an experienced starter with proven production at the Group of Five level, and he may not have to wait too long to find his new home. In fact, there’s one school that makes too much sense: Tennessee, Iamaleava’s old team.
Indeed, the Vols and Bruins could initiate an unintentional and unprecedented quarterback “trade,” given that Iamaleava departed Knoxville for Los Angeles after his public name, image and likeness “contract negotiations” fell apart. That put the Vols in a position where they have been actively seeking a new starter via the transfer portal.
Aguilar may have just fallen in their lap.
Tennessee’s staff is almost certainly familiar with Aguilar, given that he spent two seasons as the starting quarterback at nearby Appalachian State. In that span, Aguilar won 14 games and threw for 6,760 yards and 56 touchdowns. He was the 2023 Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year after transferring in from Diablo Valley College.
On paper, he’s the perfect target for a quarterback-needy team, and few programs now need a quarterback more than Tennessee. However, there are some concerns with Aguilar. His 2024 efforts were a disappointment in comparison to his breakout 2023 showing at Appalachian State. His completion percentage dropped from 63.7% in 2023 to 55.9% last season; he failed to complete at least 60% of his passes in eight out of 11 games, which might not mesh well with a Tennessee offense that relies on rhythm to maintain its pace.
He also had 14 interceptions — up from 10 in 2023 — to just 23 touchdown passes, 10 fewer than he had in 2023, and his passing yardage total decreased by 754 yards between the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Granted, Appalachian State did play 14 games in 2023 compared to 11 games in 2024 (its game against Liberty was canceled due to flooding), but the downward trend isn’t ideal, especially given that all three of App State’s top receivers from 2023 returned in 2024.
Even with Aguilar’s relatively lackluster 2024 campaign, though, his game could be a perfect fit at Tennessee. Given his experience and the system that he played in at App State, Aguilar is capable of processing plays and making quick reads.
Each of Tennessee’s last two starting quarterbacks, Iamaleava and Joe Milton, struggled in those areas, and as a result, Tennessee coach Josh Heupel fielded two of his worst passing efforts as an offensive play-caller. Aguilar also isn’t afraid to take risks — sometimes to his detriment, as evidenced by the 24 interceptions over the past two seasons — but that comes with the upside that Aguilar will not show any hesitation when making a throw, a positive attribute in a tempo offense.
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Tennessee’s offense, given its reliance on strict route concepts and the underneath game, also inherently cuts down on quarterback mistakes. The Vols haven’t had a quarterback throw more than five interceptions in a single season under Heupel.
Aguilar also brings decently mobility to the quarterback position. He had 456 yards and five touchdowns on the ground with the Mountaineers. Though Tennessee’s system doesn’t need a mobile quarterback, its wide splits mean that the middle of the field is often open for quarterback scrambles. Players like Hendon Hooker thrived under Heupel with their rushing ability, and the Vols aren’t scared to mix designed runs into their game plan when the quarterback is capable.
Perhaps the greatest thing working in Aguilar’s favor is the fact that he has just one year of eligibility remaining, which means that his presence likely won’t scare off any of the young quarterback talent that Tennessee is amassing. The Vols already have a pair of former blue-chip prospects on the roster in Jake Merklinger and true freshman George MacIntyre, who will still have the opportunity to compete ahead of the 2025 season.
Faizon Brandon, the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2026, is also currently committed to Tennessee. Aguilar would be a great bridge as Tennessee continues to develop the in-house options, and provided the situation doesn’t change between now and signing day, gets Brandon on campus.
Aguilar should be capable of at least providing a steady hand for Tennessee’s offense amid a time of unexpected transition. He may not have tremendous upside, but he is the best option for the Vols in their current situation.
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