"I think that's a problem" - Joel Klatt exposes Joey Aguilar's weakness as Josh Heupel looks to lead Tennessee following Nico Iamaleava's exit

Joel Klatt highlighted Joey Aguilar's weaknesses ahead of his senior year with the Tennessee Volunteers on Monday's episode of "The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football Podcast." Klatt predicted that the Volunteers would suffer a setback with Aguilar as their new starting quarterback.

The college football analyst shared that he doesn't believe the timing of Nico Iamaleava transferring out to join the UCLA Bruins favors Tennessee. Klatt is unsure if Aguilar will be able to adjust to his new role and avoid turnovers.

"This is a quarterback-centric system that puts a lot of pressure on the quarterback to make post-snap downfield reads on wide receiver choice routes," Klatt said (Timestamp: 5:44). "That's what the offense is. So, that player is vital. Aguilar, by the way, led the country in interceptions last year with 14 when he was at App State. I think that's a problem."

Aguilar finished with 218 completions for 3,003 yards and 23 touchdowns with the App State Mountaineers last season. However, his turnovers contributed to the team's inability to win several games.

One of the notable losses for App State was a 34-24 defeat to the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns on Oct. 12. Aguilar completed 20 of 42 passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns. He also threw four interceptions, which led to two touchdowns for Louisiana.

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel is hopeful Aguilar can avoid committing fewer turnovers this upcoming season to clinch a spot in the College Football Playoff. Iamaleava led the Volunteers to a first-round appearance in his freshman year with 213 completions for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Aguilar will try to prove to Klatt and other skeptical fans that he can be a suitable replacement or better than Iamaleava.

Joel Klatt points out another key loss for Tennessee Volunteers ahead of the 2025 season

Joel Klatt believes Tennessee's offense may struggle due to the roster changes made during the offseason. Along with Nico Iamaleava, he pointed out that running back Dylan Sampson has left the team.

The Cleveland Browns selected Sampson in the fourth round with their 126th pick in the 2025 NFL draft. He led the Volunteers in rushing yards last season with 258 carries for 1,491 yards and 22 touchdowns.

One of his best performances was in Tennessee's 24-17 win against the Alabama Crimson Tide on Oct. 19. Sampson had 26 carries for 139 yards and two touchdowns.

Josh Heupel will look for other running backs on the current roster, including DeSean Bishop, to play a bigger role in the offense. Bishop may be the primary option for the position after he played a backup role last season. He had the second-most rushing yards last season with 74 carries for 455 yards and three touchdowns.

The Volunteers will kick off the 2025 season against the Syracuse Orange on Aug. 30.