Joey Aguilar continues to embrace underdog mindset amid Tennessee arrival

Joey Aguilar seems to be the one being counted on to replace Nico Iamaleava at Tennessee. The transfer quarterback is ready for the spotlight in Knoxville though.

His arrival coincided with Iamaleava committing to UCLA via the transfer portal. That’s when Agular, the incumbent Bruins signal-caller, entered the portal.

He’d previously committed to UCLA via the portal in the winter, with expectations to start. However, he had no interest in serving as Iamaleava’s backup and began searching for a new home.

Tennessee was a natural fit. As the summer rages on, Aguilar thought back on his college career, evaluating how it’s made him the perfect quarterback for what the Volunteers need this season.

“Growing up I had to work for everything I got to. In high school, I was the starting quarterback. Graduating high school, I had nothing, no scholarships coming out of high school. Really took about two years off, with COVID and things like that. JUCO, and was a backup in JUCO. Earned a starting spot. App State, went to the first game as a backup. Earned a starting spot,” Aguilar told the media.

“So, I’ve just been enjoying the process, and just working. Truly earning what I’ve accomplished has made everything so fun.”

As Aguilar mentioned, he spent two seasons at Appalachian State, prior to transferring to UCLA. In his two years with the Mountaineers, Aguilar amassed 6,760 passing yards and 56 touchdowns while throwing 24 interceptions.

In the ground game, Aguilar recorded 456 total rushing yards and five scores. His 3,757 passing yards in the 2023 campaign are the most in a single season in program history. He also shattered the record for passing touchdowns (33) in a single season that year.

While Josh Heupel hasn’t named Aguilar Tennessee’s QB1 yet, the veteran QB is the favorite to land the starting spot. Heupel has been happy with Aguilar’s work ethic thus far, he said earlier this summer.

“The timing of when he got here, unique. Not something that we haven’t had before, but it applies an urgency that’s always there,” Heupel said. “But as late as he’s getting here, man, super urgent in him being able to get exposed, digest and become comfortable with what we’re doing.

“If you’re playing quarterback, and you’re back there thinking, you got no chance. So it’s got to become second nature. It’s got to become your primary language. And he’s worked really hard with that.”

Underdog or not, Joey Aguilar is trying to be the man in Tennessee. Whether or not it all works out remains to be seen, but it won’t be for a lack of effort.

— On3’s Grant Grubbs contributed to this article.