Why Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar was washing cars when Ty Simpson committed to Alabama

On Feb. 26, 2021, five-star quarterback Ty Simpson drew a roar of applause as he reached for an Alabama hat and announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide.

It was a big event at Martin Westview High School and around college football. The blue-chip recruit chose between Alabama, Clemson, Ole Miss, Tennessee and UT Martin, where his dad Jason Simpson is the coach.

The quarterback wore a coat and tie and spoke into a microphone. His family surrounded him. They were framed by an official Westview backdrop in the school gym and flanked by a large TV screen that projected his image.

The commitment ceremony was broadcast via livestream by numerous media outlets because countless college football fans were invested in Simpson’s decision. And he admitted that it wasn’t an easy one.

Simpson was recruited by Tennessee. But the Vols were too far behind because coach Jeremy Pruitt had been fired and replaced by Josh Heupel a month before Simpson chose Alabama.

Around the same time, about 2,200 miles away in Antioch, California, quarterback Joey Aguilar was in between junior college football stops during a long six-year journey to Tennessee.

In February 2021, Aguilar had just enrolled at Diablo Valley College, which was about to start spring practice. He had spent a year and a half at City College of San Francisco, where he didn’t play a single snap, and considered going into firefighter school rather than continue his college football dream.

And on the day Simpson committed to Alabama, Aguilar likely would’ve been preparing for his typical weekend job cleaning and washing cars at his dad’s auto detailing business. He did that until the 2021 season began.

If Aguilar had glanced at ESPN that day, he would’ve seen the news of Simpson’s commitment to Nick Saban, then Alabama’s coach, scroll across the TV ticker.

But no national college football reporters knew Aguilar’s name at that time or foresaw his future with the Vols.

While Simpson had been courted by virtually every power conference school in the country, Aguilar didn’t receive a single Division I scholarship coming out of high school. He was as far from the SEC as his proximity to that gym where Simpson said “Roll Tide” amid a scrum of cameras.

“Everybody has got a journey inside of this game,” Heupel said. “(Simpson) has done a great job. And Joey’s path was Joey’s path. He has continued to grow and get better and is doing a great job for us.”

More than four years later, Simpson and Aguilar are two of college football’s best quarterbacks. And they’re guiding two powerhouse SEC offenses in a collision course to the Third Saturday in October rivalry game.

No. 11 Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC) plays Alabama (5-1, 3-0) on Oct. 18 (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

Joey Aguilar, Ty Simpson are more alike than you think

Simpson is perhaps the Heisman Trophy frontrunner. He has the SEC’s highest QB rating with 1,678 passing yards, 16 TDs and one interception. And Alabama is among the nation’s hottest teams after three straight top 25 wins.

Aguilar has quickly risen to dark-horse status in the Heisman race. He leads the SEC with 1,680 passing yards along with 14 TDs and five interceptions. Tennessee leads the FBS in scoring at 48.2 points per game.

At face value, Simpson and Aguilar paint quite a contrast. They took drastically different paths to stardom. But along the way, they earned admiration from teammates and fans by exemplifying the same qualities of patience, perseverance and hard work.

Simpson was a high-profile recruit, but he unexpectedly turned into an underdog story at Alabama. He almost got lost in the shuffle as the Tide turned to Heisman Trophy candidate Jalen Milroe and Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner at quarterback.

Then Saban retired and Kalen DeBoer became Alabama’s coach. Some thought Simpson would enter the transfer portal, but he waited his turn and finally got the starting job after three years.

That kind of patience is rare in this era, especially among former blue-chip quarterbacks who expect to start almost immediately.

Aguilar’s underdog story is more straightforward and recognizable. His ascension was as steep as any in college football. And his persistence to chase his dream against all odds may be unmatched.

Aguilar spent four years in junior college, two seasons at Appalachian State, a spring semester at UCLA and finally this season at Tennessee. He has forgotten more playbooks than most players are required to learn. And he’s an old hand at winning quarterback competitions.

“I had a plan, but God has my journey,” Aguilar said. “I would want things to happen, but God puts everything good in your life.”

Simpson chose Alabama for stability. But he’s played for three different offensive coordinators, three different quarterback coaches and two different head coaches.

“It’s not how I drew it up for sure,” Simpson told the Tuscaloosa News. “I think anybody could tell you that. But it’s God’s plan and I think, ultimately, it will make me a better player.”

Quarterback moms were stars of viral videos at games

The comparisons don’t stop there.

The spotlight has shone on the families of both quarterbacks.

After Simpson led Alabama to a win over Georgia, his teary-eyed mom, Julie, hugged him in what became a popular video in college football circles.

Aguilar’s family members have become Tennessee fan favorites. His mom, Lydia, cried when Joey ran through the T for the first time at Neyland Stadium, and the moment was captured in a viral video.

Beautiful moment of Joey Aguilar's mom watching her son run through the T for the first time as a #Vol. @Lydia220Aguilarpic.twitter.com/ccUQQKmULz

— Emilie Rae Cochrane (@EmCochranetv) September 6, 2025

And Aguilar’s grandmother even had her moment in the spotlight cheering on Joey at a UT home game after flying across the country to see him suit up for the Vols.

Simpson stayed at Alabama; Aguilar stayed the course

Expect ABC broadcasters Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy and Molly McGrath to spend time on the backstories of Aguilar and Simpson during the Tennessee-Alabama game.

There’s plenty to tell and more similarities than meets the eye.

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Aguilar stayed the course in college football despite long odds. Simpson stayed at Alabama when he could’ve easily left.

“I love this place. If I didn’t, I would have left,” Simpson said. “But I love Tuscaloosa. I love the University of Alabama. I love the fans. I love the program. I love my teammates. And that’s the reason why I stayed.” 

Aguilar took a crooked road to Tennessee, but he made it his new home almost immediately. He also won over fans by expressing gratitude for the Vols giving him a chance to experience a scene like the one that’s ahead in Tuscaloosa.

“This is why you come to Tennessee,” Heupel said. “To play in a game like this in a great rivalry with Alabama.”

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee's Joey Aguilar, Alabama's Ty Simpson take opposite QB paths