Question marks surrounded Tennessee’s quarterback situation heading into the 2025 season after the offseason departure drama with Nico Iamaleava. The Vols went out and got former App State quarterback Joey Aguilar from UCLA in the transfer portal, who ended up winning the job during fall training camp.
As it would turn out, Aguilar wound up being a tremendous fit in Josh Heupel’s offense. Things haven’t been perfect for Aguilar and the offense this year, but the transfer quarterback’s big arm and gunslinger mentality have stuffed the stat sheet with Tennessee finding the explosive pass once again.
Aguilar currently leads the SEC in passing yards (2,737), average yards per attempt (9.2), average yards per game (304.11), and is tied for the conference lead in touchdown passes (21).
ESPN’s Bill Connelly put out his updated college football quarterback rankings list on Wednesday, with Aguilar landing at the No. 13 spot. He’s four spots higher than his previous ranking at No. 17.
“Tennessee went to the CFP on the power of great defense (sixth in defensive SP+) last season, so it seemed like Aguilar was walking into a pretty decent situation,” Connelly writes. “The Vols’ defense has completely collapsed — 56th in defensive SP+, 95th in points allowed per drive — but the team is still 6-3 and ranked because Aguilar has keyed an offensive resurgence. He could end up with 4,000 passing yards.”
He’s listed as the 7th-highest SEC quarterback in the rankings, behind No. 4 Diego Pavia, No. 6 Gunner Stockton, No. 8 Trinidad Chambliss, No. 10 Taylen Green, No. 11 Ty Simpson, and No. 12 Marcel Reed.
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Dating back to his time at App State, Aguilar has now thrown for 200+ passing yards in 33 straight collegiate games. He’s reached the 300-yard mark in four of Tennessee’s nine games this season, including a two-game streak with nearly 400 yards against Kentucky and Oklahoma.
Aguilar has also thrown his way into Tennessee’s all-time record book. He currently holds the No. 13 and No. 14 slots in Tennessee’s all-time single-game passing metric, with 396 yards against the Wildcats and 393 yards against the Sooners. The latter is tied with Casey Clausen’s 393-yard showing against Michigan in 2001.
“I always got faith in myself,” Aguilar said about his big passing numbers on Monday. “I’ve produced at both levels now, I would say. I didn’t come to try to put up numbers for myself. I came to compete and try to help this team win. Everything just flows with it.”
Aguilar will lead Tennessee into the final three-game stretch of the regular season, starting this Saturday afternoon with a home game against New Mexico State in Neyland Stadium. The Vols will then go on the road against Florida and finish with a home game against Vanderbilt.
Check out Bill Connelly’s full list for ESPN here.
