Though it was just one year in Knoxville, former Tennessee football quarterback Joey Aguilar quickly became a fan favorite. Replacing the departing Nico Iamaleava in the spring transfer portal window, Aguilar adjusted to the Vols’ offense in a short window and put together an impressive season.
Helping lead Tennessee’s offense back toward the top of the conference, Aguilar completed 67.3% of passes for 3,565 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also ran the ball 71 times for 101 yards and four scores. Perhaps his finest moment was leading UT to a win at Florida to snap the losing streak in The Swamp.
To honor his wild journey throughout college football, Aguilar got a new tattoo on his left leg. It features his start in the Bay Area, his transfer to App State and the conclusion at Tennessee. Near his ankle, it depicts his No. 6 and Neyland Stadium.
How much does Joey Aguilar love Tennessee?
The former #Vols QB got Neyland Stadium tattooed on his leg. It shows his journey from JUCO, to App State and then to Rocky Top. pic.twitter.com/GXxcYn04sN
Advertisement— Sam Rothman (@samrothman_) July 11, 2026
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Aguilar went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, but is getting a chance at the NFL. He is with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent. This comes after a strong showing at UT’s Pro Day, in which he showed that a tumor in his shoulder that he played through with the Vols wouldn’t be a long-term issue.
“Shout out to Heup (Josh Heupel), Joey (Halzle), Jared (Peery) and Landry (Jones) for the time they poured into me for the short amount of time I was here,” Aguilar said after Pro Day. “And Landry’s helped me a lot through this process. I met with him one-on-one a lot throughout the season, and especially the time of the unknown of not knowing I was going to come back here or go to the league. NFL vet, spent a lot of time in the league, was kind of giving me tips of what to expect, what to do. That helped me at the combine as well because I up and just had to leave. So it was a good experience, and I’m thankful for these coaches.”
Now, Tennessee will have a new quarterback leading the offense. Aguilar attempted to go through the courts to be granted a preliminary injunction against the NCAA to play again with the Vols, but ultimately lost his case. It’ll be a quarterback battle between Faizon Brandon, George MacIntyre and Ryan Staub for the job.
