News Summary
Tennessee football has officially named Joey Aguilar as the starting quarterback for the upcoming season opener against Syracuse. After transferring from UCLA, Aguilar’s impressive performance and experience secured his position over other candidates. He led Appalachian State with significant passing yards and touchdowns, positioning him as a key player for the Volunteers as they aim for success this season under Coach Josh Heupel.
KNOXVILLE – The Tennessee football program has officially announced that Joey Aguilar will be the starting quarterback for the 2025 season opener against Syracuse. This highly anticipated debut is set to take place on August 30, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The announcement was made on August 17, 2025, via a post on X, previously known as Twitter.
Aguilar’s appointment comes after his recent transfer from UCLA, where he moved following the departure of former star recruit Nico Iamaleava. Iamaleava left Tennessee for UCLA amid negotiations regarding name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals that reportedly did not go as hoped. Aguilar’s path to Tennessee was marked by a brief stint at UCLA after transferring from Appalachian State earlier in 2025.
In competing for the starting position, Aguilar outperformed other candidates including redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and true freshman George MacIntyre. Despite joining the roster recently, Aguilar’s experience as a multi-year starter at Appalachian State gave him a competitive edge in the selection process. His college career began at City College of San Francisco and shifted to Diablo Valley College before he landed at Appalachian State.
During his tenure with Appalachian State, Aguilar achieved impressive statistics, including 6,760 passing yards, 56 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions, boasting a record of 13-11 over 24 starts. His performance makes him the leading returning quarterback in terms of passing yards among FBS players. Nevertheless, his record also shows that he had 31 turnovers over the past two seasons, which ties for the most in FBS.
The Tennessee Volunteers have shown a strong track record in recent years, having won double-digit games for the second time in three years prior to Aguilar’s arrival. Last season, the Vols made an appearance in the College Football Playoff as a No. 9 seed but faced a challenging loss, falling 42-17 to Ohio State in the first round.
Under the leadership of Coach Josh Heupel, Tennessee’s offense consistently ranks among the top 20 nationally for total yards per game. Notably, in 2022, Tennessee’s offense led all of FBS with an average of 525.5 yards per game. This rich offensive tradition places Aguilar in a favorable position to contribute meaningfully to the team’s success as the season unfolds.
As the countdown to the season opener against Syracuse begins, all eyes will be on Aguilar to see how his performance aligns with Tennessee’s aspirations for the upcoming season. With a strong blend of experience and the high expectations that come with being named the starting quarterback, Joey Aguilar’s journey at Tennessee promises to be an engaging narrative in college football this year.
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Additional Resources
- ESPN: Tennessee Names Joey Aguilar Starting Quarterback
- Wikipedia: Joey Aguilar
- CBS Sports: Joey Aguilar Named Tennessee’s Starting QB
- Google Search: Joey Aguilar Tennessee Quarterback
- New York Times: Joey Aguilar Tennessee Quarterback Announcement
- Encyclopedia Britannica: American Football
- 247 Sports: Tennessee Vols Football Names Joey Aguilar Starting Quarterback
- Google News: Joey Aguilar Tennessee Football
Author: STAFF HERE HOLLYWOOD
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