"I can't wait to get to Rocky Top!": Joey Aguilar shares a strong message for Tennessee fans

Well, UCLA and Tennessee have swapped quarterbacks. After Nico Iamaleava's controversial move to the Bruins, Joey Aguilar will move to Knoxville. The new Volunteers signal-caller posted a letter to his Instagram feed on Tuesday.

In the letter, Aguilar thanked God for helping him reach where he is and expressed his excitement at joining a storied program like Tennessee's.

"First, I want to thank God for guiding me through this journey and opening doors I could not have imagined" the QB wrote. "I'm excited to announce that I'm officially committed to the University of Tennessee ..."

"I can't wait to get to Rocky Top! I'm ready to give my all for Tennessee."

Joey Aguilar never got to play for the Bruins, having transferred to UCLA in late December 2024. For the 2023 and 2024 seasons, he was the starting quarterback for the Appalachian State Mountaineers. He led them to an 8-5 winning record in 2023, but failed to make it to .500 in 2024 when they finished 5-6 and missed on a bowl invitation.

In 2023, they lost the Sun Belt championship to Troy, but won the Cure Bowl against Miami (OH). Aguilar was named the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year and received a second-team All-Sun Belt selection.

Josh Heupel on Joey Aguilar's arrival at Tennessee

One of the first to talk about Joey Aguilar's arrival was Tennessee's coach Josh Heupel. Speaking at a stop of the Big Orange Caravan on Tuesday, Heupel said:

“We’ve got the opportunity to have a great competition at the quarterback position. I like the skill sets of the guys that are in there. I like their mindset.

"You’ve got to learn it, earn it and go take the job. The standard is to have a guy who is ready to play at a championship level."

Aguilar's arrival adds versatility to a quarterback room that was already sparse before Iamaleava's departure. It also gives Heupel the option of putting an experienced quarterback in the middle of the huddle.

Overall, he fills the void left on the roster by Iamaleava's departure. If not with the same level of raw skill, at least with the necessary experience.

About the author

Andres is an analyst who has reported on college basketball and college football at Sportskeeda since 2023. Currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in law from Universidad Metropolitana in Venezuela, and has minor in International Relations. Andres holds a college certificate in Sports Entities Management from Unisport Management School in Spain. He is also an alumnus of the FIFA/CIES International Programme in Sports Management by FIFA and Universidad Metropolitana, and has been accepted into the Harvard CORe online program for which he was awarded a grant.

Given his background in sports management, law and business, Andres loves any chance to jump into the industry side of things and explain what's happening behind the curtain. He takes care when it comes to separating the wheat from the chaff and ensures he refers only to appropriate and respected sources.

His favorite college team is the Arkansas Razorbacks. While Troy Aikman and Joe Montana are two of his most favorite QBs, he is also an admirer of Joe Burrow's style and is rooting for Riley Leonard to do well.

Andres is an avid reader, likes adventure sports, dabbles in rock climbing, and is also a scuba diver. He is also an enthusiastic gamer, especially when it comes to strategy PC titles and loves his fair share of Halo.

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Edited by Krutik Jain