Former UCLA Bruins QB Joey Aguilar’s road to Knoxville has been anything but straightforward. After two productive seasons at Appalachian State, where he threw for 6,760 yards and 56 touchdowns, Aguilar transferred to UCLA this past offseason, looking for a bigger stage in the Big Ten.
When the UCLA Bruins landed five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava from Tennessee in a high-profile portal flip, the writing was on the wall.
Aguilar re-entered the portal and landed in Knoxville, filling the spot Iamaleava had vacated.
For Tennessee, the timing could not have been better. The Volunteers needed a proven starter to stabilize the offense, and Aguilar brought exactly that.
In 2023, he led App State to an 8-5 record and a bowl win with 3,757 yards and 33 touchdowns. Even during a rougher 2024 season with a younger roster that finished 5-6, Aguilar still delivered 3,003 passing yards and 23 touchdowns while adding mobility with 456 career rushing yards and five scores.
Former UCLA Bruins QB Joey Aguilar Wins Tennessee Job
Fall camp showed why Tennessee made him a priority. Aguilar quickly separated himself from Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre with his command of Josh Heupel’s uptempo system and timing with a deep receiver group. His ability to process defenses and hit vertical shots fits perfectly in an offense built to stretch the field.
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For Aguilar, the opportunity is not something he takes lightly.
“If you would tell me that in 2021-22, I probably would not have believed it,” Aguilar said. “I was in JUCO at that time, looking at players at this level like, ‘dang, that’s crazy, I wish I was there,’ and here I am, you know? I just have to thank Jesus for giving me the opportunity to be here.”
Adjusting to the SEC level and Heupel’s tempo has been part of his growth.
“I would say the only thing I really had to adjust to was the tempo of the offense,” Aguilar said. “I was somewhat in a similar tempo offense in 2023. I wouldn’t say as high tempo as this, but we were pretty on the ball at Appalachian State, just not as fast, so just getting used to getting the signal and lining up and going through my progressions were the adjustments that I had to make.”
With the job now his, Aguilar steps into a roster that is built to compete in the SEC and make a push toward the playoff.
His experience and poise give the Volunteers a steady presence under center, something that could keep Tennessee in the national conversation deep into the season.
His “time” with the UCLA Bruins will always be a what-if, especially if he leads the Vols to the playoffs and the Bruins don’t make it.