Joey Aguilar has thrown his first touchdown pass as the Tennessee football starting quarterback. And man, it was one to remember.
Aguilar delivered a bomb to second-year slot receiver Braylon Staley, who got free behind the shell of the defense. The ball was perfectly placed, Staley ran under it and pushed his way into the end zone. This put Tennessee up 24-7 and served as an instant response to Syracuse’s first score of the game.
The drive lasted two plays and went 75 yards. The only other offensive snap of the possession saw DeSean Bishop rush up the middle for a gain of two just before the deep ball.
As of the touchdown strike, Aguilar is 8-for-15 passing for 163 yards and a touchdown. He’s also run three times for 29 yards. He is responsible for one fumble, but the defense picked him up and scooped-and-scored a touchdown of its own as a response.
dialed up a deep shot
📺 ABC
📲 https://t.co/ZKIJ43A754 pic.twitter.com/aMx3Q6S2eh— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) August 30, 2025
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Tennessee entered the offseason thinking it would return its starter from its College Football Playoff push a year ago. However, amidst reported NIL negotiations, Nico Iamaleava and UT had a messy divorce that resulted in him entering the transfer portal during the spring window. He would make his way to UCLA.
This pushed out Aguilar, who transferred to the Bruins for his final year of eligibility after a two-year stint at App State. He quickly committed to Tennessee to replace Iamaleava. This gave him a short window to acclimate himself to the team and new offense.
Aguilar went into the recent 2024 season with high expectations with the Mountaineers. After a dominant showing the year prior, he threw for 3,003 yards on a 56% completion rate. He tossed 23 touchdowns but turned the ball over with 14 interceptions in just 11 games. On the ground, he added 207 yards and two touchdowns on 59 attempts.
In 2023, Aguilar torched the App State record books. He set new program-best marks for a single season in passing yards (3,757), passing touchdowns (33), total offense (4,002), 200-yard passing games (13), pass completions (293) and pass attempts (460).
That year earned him Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year and Cure Bowl MVP. He steered App State to a 9-5 record, Sun Belt Championship Game appearance and bowl win over Miami (Ohio).
He began his career at the junior college level, playing at Diablo Valley for two seasons just outside San Francisco. Prior to that, he played for two years at Freedom High School in Antioch, California. He earned First-team All-Bay 6 in both seasons there.
