While the season didn’t finish on the right note in terms of the win-loss column, Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar did cement his name in the all-time Volunteers record books in the Music City Bowl against Illinois.
With 121 passing yards against the Fighting Illini, Aguilar ended his season with 3,565 yards through the air. He entered the game as Tennessee’s fourth all-time single-season passing leader, and passed VFL Erik Ainge for third place on Tuesday night.
Aguilar now sits behind only Peyton Manning (1997) and Tyler Bray (2012) for passing yards in a single season for the Big Orange. The former App State transfer is one of just five players in Tennessee history to achieve 3,000+ passing yards in a single season.
Tennessee Football 3,000-Yard Passing Club
- Peyton Manning – 3,819 yards (1997)
- Tyler Bray – 3,612 yards (2012)
- Joey Aguilar – 3,565 yards (2025)
- Erik Ainge – 3,522 yards (2007)
- Peyton Manning – 3,287 yards (1996)
- Hendon Hooker – 3,135 yards (2022)
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Aguilar crossed the 3,000-yard threshold after throwing for 204 yards in a win over Florida in The Swamp in November. He also passed Hendon Hooker’s single-season mark in 2022 during that win over the Gators. Then, in the Vols’ next game against Vanderbilt, Aguilar passed Peyton Manning’s 1996 total by throwing for 299 yards against the Commodores.
Aguilar entered Tuesday’s bowl game against Illinois with the potential to move to second place on the list, and an outside chance to even overtake Manning’s 1997 season for the top spot on the list. While he didn’t pick up the 47 yards that were needed to pass Bray, he still cleared Ainge’s spot by 43 yards.
Despite the news of his entry into the top three of the record books, though, Aguilar did see a longtime individual streak break against Illinois. Entering Tuesday’s Music City Bowl, Aguilar had thrown for at least 200 passing yards in 36 straight collegiate games, dating back to his 2023 season at App State. He crossed the 200-yard mark in each of Tennessee’s regular-season games this year, but fell well short of that mark in the bowl game.
During his lone season in Knoxville, Aguilar crossed the 300-yard mark in four of Tennessee’s 13 games, throwing for 371 against Georgia, 335 against Mississippi State, 396 against Kentucky, and 393 against Oklahoma. He fell one yard short of that mark with 299 yards against the Commodores. Ultimately, Aguilar averaged just over 274 passing yards per game during the 2025 season with the Volunteers.
While the 2025 season may be remembered as a disappointing one for the Volunteers, Aguilar’s season was a remarkable storyline. He transferred to Tennessee during the spring window, learned the offense and the scheme during the summer and fall camp, and won the job in a quarterback competition in August. His veteran presence and leadership helped him earn the trust and respect of his teammates, and he wound up cementing his name among the greats in the Tennessee record book because of that.
