Tennessee football’s 10 day debacle looking a quarterback following Nico Iamaleava’s departure from the program came to a close on Monday night when the Vols landed senior signal caller Joey Aguilar.
The veteran Aguilar played at Appalachian State each of the last two seasons before transferring to UCLA in December. But with the Bruins adding Iamaleava to their roster on Sunday, Aguilar hopped in the portal Monday looking for a new home for his final year of eligibility.
Iamaleava and Tennessee split ways in the final days of spring practice with the redshirt sophomore quarterback looking for a pay increase and the Vols not complying. According to reports, Iamaleava was set to make approximately $2.4 million for Tennessee football in 2025.
How much is Tennessee going to pay Aguilar next season? There’s multiple reports that give us a good look. Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger reported that Tennessee would Aguilar “seven figures less” than they were going to pay Iamaleava. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Tennessee will pay Aguilar in the $1.2 million range.
More From RTI: Five Things To Know About New Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar
With Tennessee cutting its cost at quarterback, the question for the rest of the offseason is whether they’ll invest those savings elsewhere on the roster. The Vols have a number of needs but most notably at receiver and defensive tackle.
The problem for Heupel and his staff is there’s not a ton of high level players in the portal in the spring window. There are players available that would give them depth and more starting options but no true difference makers they can add with their quarterback savings.
Aguilar completed 56% of his passes for 3,003 yards, 23 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He’s also a decent runner, adding 207 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns during the 2024 season.
While his stats last season were pretty pedestrian, Aguilar’s stats were much better during the 2023 season. Aguilar completed 63.7% of his passes for 3,757 yards, 33 touchdowns and 10 interceptions during his first season at Appalachian State. He added 249 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.
Iamaleava completed 64% of his passes for 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions during the 2024 season.
