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Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers have finally made their decision at starting quarterback, selecting Joey Aguilar to command the offensive snaps.
The program announced the news on Sunday, per On3's Brent Hubbs. This comes after Tennessee spent multiple weeks of getting themselves adapted throughout fall camp while figuring out their strengths and weaknesses.
“I thought he handled himself extremely well,” head coach Josh Heupel said about Aguilar's performance in their scrimmage on Sunday. “That’s today, but I think he’s got better, from day one up until today’s scrimmage. Really every single day. Comfort and control. He’s handled himself extremely well during our night walkthroughs, which is mental focus, mental sweat. And because of that, he’s extremely comfortable in what we’re doing right now.”
Aguilar won the starting job after competing with redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and freshman George MacIntyre for the spot. The contest ends as the Volunteers have made their move.
At the helm.@Jooey16_ | #GBO🍊 pic.twitter.com/QNf0NaNFFs
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) August 18, 2025
What's next for Tennessee after selecting Joey Aguilar
It's clear that Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers valued experience at the starting quarterback spot. That is a box Joey Aguilar easily checked, having been in the college football realm since 2019.
Aguilar started out at the JUCO level, representing CCSF and Diablo Balley in his first four years. He took the next step to the FBS level, taking his talents to App State in 2023. The move proved to be a success, winning Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year that season.
Aguilar departed the Mountaineers after two years, finishing with a 13-11 record. He completed 511 passes for 6,759 yards and 56 touchdowns. He was also active on the ground, making 140 rushes for 452 yards and five scores.
The experienced quarterback took his talents to the transfer portal, originally going to the UCLA Bruins. However, he changed course as he went to the Volunteers after the Bruins got Nico Iamaleava from Tennessee.
The Volunteers enter their fifth year with Heupel at the helm. They are coming off a solid 2024 season, finishing with a 10-3 record as they went 6-2 in SEC Play. They secured a spot in the College Football Playoff but fell 42-17 to the eventual national champions Ohio State in the first round.
Tennessee will look forward to building on that success, being the No. 24-ranked team in the AP Top 25. They begin the season at home, hosting the Syracuse Orange on Aug. 30 at 12 p.m. ET.
