Tennessee football made headlines this offseason with its quarterback situation, after 2024 starter Nico Iamaleava entered the transfer portal in the spring after leading the Volunteers to their first College Football Playoff appearance. Iamaleava transferred to UCLA, and his replacement, Joey Aguilar, has shown out in his first two games.
Aguilar, who spent his 2024 season at Appalachian State, transferred to UCLA in the offseason, then departed the program for Tennessee when Iamaleava committed. The "quarterback trade" shook the college football world, and Aguilar has been the better of the two so far.
MORE: Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar's dad on portal trade, thanks Nico Iamaleava
In Week 3, No. 15 Tennessee has arguably the biggest matchup of the week, as it welcomes No. 6 Georgia to Neyland Stadium. "College Gameday" will be on site in Knoxville for the ranked matchup, and Josh Heupel's squad is gaining attention.
Before Tennessee welcomes the Bulldogs, let's get to know the Vols' new signal-caller.
Who is Joey Aguilar?
Aguilar is from Antioch, California, playing his high school football at Freedom High School in Oakley. Before committing to Tennessee in the spring, Aguilar played at three colleges: City College of San Francisco, Diablo Valley College and Appalachian State.
In his two previous seasons at the FBS level — both with the Mountaineers — Aguilar threw for 6,760 yards, 56 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. He was named the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year in 2023, and was second-team All-Sun Belt.
MORE: Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar's path from Diablo Valley to Tennessee
So far, Aguilar has started two games for Tennessee, completing over 66% of his passes for 535 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. Tennessee is currently second in America — only behind USC — in total offense, averaging 605 yards per game.
The Vols have improved under Aguilar, especially in the passing game; Tennessee was in the bottom half of the SEC in passing yards per game in 2024, and this year, it leads the conference.
MORE: Iamaleava money decision called an 'all-time disaster' as Vols' Joey Aguilar wins trade
Why did Joey Aguilar leave UCLA?
Aguilar transferred to UCLA in December 2024, but was only there for a short time. He transferred to Tennessee in April 2025 one day after the Vols' former quarterback, Iamaleava, committed to the Bruins.
MORE: Nico Iamaleava's camp reportedly furious with Tennessee over public perception leak
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel had an open quarterback competition for the starting job, which Aguilar won. He has played well in both his games, with Tennessee having one of the best scoring offenses in America. Out west, Iamaleava is not having the same success with UCLA, which sits at 0-2.
NEW: Joey Aguilar's father to @PeteNakos_ on UCLA-Tennessee QB swap:
— On3 (@On3sports) September 10, 2025
“We don’t have any problems with Nico. If anything, it’s thank you...
I think it’s clear who won the trade. Look at the fans and the stats. Everything happens for a reason.”
Story: https://t.co/9zlTfMygZP pic.twitter.com/HaTH2rH7Dy
Next up for Aguilar is No. 4 Georgia, who currently holds an eight-game winning streak in the SEC matchup.
MORE: Tennessee’s Georgia problem runs deep
Tennessee 2025 schedule
The Volunteers are in a loaded SEC with tons of College Football Playoff contenders, the first being Saturday against Georgia.
| Date | Opponent | Time |
| 9/13 | vs No. 6 Georgia | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| 9/20 | vs UAB | 12:45 p.m. ET |
| 9/27 | at Mississippi State | TBD |
| 10/11 | vs Arkansas | TBD |
| 10/18 | at No. 19 Alabama | TBD |
| 10/25 | at Kentucky | TBD |
| 11/1 | vs No. 13 Oklahoma | TBD |
| 11/15 | vs New Mexico State | 4:15 p.m. ET |
| 11/22 | at Florida | TBD |
| 11/29 | vs Vanderbilt | TBD |
Tennessee is coming off a season where it finished 10-3, losing to the eventual national champions, Ohio State, in the first round of the College Football Playoff.