Bad luck for UCLA Bruins fans. The school had earned its only national championship in 1954. While head coach DeShaun Foster might have tried to write a success story, they ended with a lacklustre season, wrapping up with a 5-7 overall record. If he was trying to pursue his mission to make the unfulfilled dreams come true, the Bruins lost 20 players in the transfer portal. They attracted more controversy by landing the most talked-about player in the college football landscape right now. That’s none other than Nico Iamaleava, who swapped from the Tennessee Volunteers after a big NIL hoopla. Turns out there was a balancing act. As Josh Heupel lost Iamaleava to UCLA, Foster also loses a key player to Tennessee.

The mudslinging got really dirty back in Heupel’s squad. So much so that Tennessee had to hit the brakes for Iamaleava. The quarterback had already sealed a deal with Heupel’s squad, which was paying him $2 million. However, Iamaleava was on a mission to fatten his fortune reserve and was aiming for a $4 million per year jump in his NIL earnings. This did not sit well with Heupel, and he decided to move forward without the quarterback. So, this earned the quarterback and his family “greedy” tags from ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum. That’s when Iamaleava found his new home and swapped wagons to UCLA. While the Bruins fans were yet to wrap their heads around the news, here came a blow. Their quarterback, Joey Aguilar, planned to enter the transfer portal. On April 29, he declared his commitment to the Vols squad.  

ESPN reports that Aguilar had $1.2 million remaining to be paid under the NIL terms he had at UCLA, and that Tennessee will pay him a similar amount. He transferred in from Appalachian State, a place where he found a lot of success. Definitely, with Iamaleava in the hood, it’s kind of a respite for Foster. However, Aguilar could have been the backup in case of injury. While he never succeeded in catching the limelight, he did show some talent in his ability to control games.

Back in Appalachian State, in the last two seasons combined, he came up with 6,760 yards and 56 touchdowns. It was on December 28, 2024, that the quarterback chose to board Foster’s train. But as soon as Iamaleava jumped into UCLA, it was his time to hit the exit doors. On April 29, he declared his commitment on IG with the caption, “GBO 🍊.”  Aguliar has now made their slogan “Go Big Orange.” his slogan.

The poster had a message with Aguliar’s picture donning the orange jersey. It started with a note of gratitude where he thanked God for opening the unexpected doors at the most unexpected times. He then wrote, “I’m excited to announce that I’m officially committed to the University of Tennessee.” The California native picked UCLA because of Tino Sunseri and Foster. But now that he has thought of seeking a new home, he has found immense support. As Aguilar wrote, “This journey hasn’t been mine; it’s been shared with everyone who has supported me — thank you.” The young chap knows how to keep things peppy and embodies a ‘throw me what you got’ kind of demeanor and can’t wait to write his story in Heupel’s squad. 

“I’m looking forward to being a part of the traditions, the fans, and the legacy of winning at Tennessee. I’m ready to get to work, compete at the highest level and build something special with my teammates and coaches. I can’t wait to get to Rocky Top! I’m ready to Give My All for Tennessee,” Aguilar added. Now, if he thinks that the Iamaleava hoopla would make his journey all easy breezy in Tennessee, that’s not going to be the case. 

The real test for Joey Aguilar begins now 

Apparently, it looked like Heupel had let out a big sigh of relief by getting rid of Iamaleava. Now that Aguilar is in the hood, he is supposed to get a seat on the pedestal. However, the Vols’ head coach made it clear that the new quarterback has a lot of hustle and bustle. Aguilar will now have to fight for his spot, beating Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre for the starting quarterback job. An open competition scenario looms in Tennessee.

Tennessee held the Big Orange Caravan stop in Memphis on April 29, that’s when Heupel made it clear without sugarcoating his words. “We’ve got the opportunity to have a great competition at the quarterback position. I like the skillsets of the guys that are in there. I like their mindset.” So, what are the head coach’s expectations from Aguilar?

It’s to bring out the best within him. So much so that Tennessee will not have to miss Iamaleava, even for once. “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,” Josh Heupel made it clear. Among the three competitors in the quarterback room, none of them has proven yet at the SEC level. 

Joey Aguilar thrived at Appalachian State, but his debut at a Power Four school will come at UT. While Jake Merklinger is a redshirt freshman, MacIntyre, a four-star recruit, signed with UT in the 2025 class. But Aguliar’s certain skills left a mark in Heupel’s heart. “He’s accurate and on time in the intermediate passing game. He has the ability to use his feet to extend plays and in the quarterback run game too. It’s similar to the traits that we have with guys on campus right now.” So, could Aguliar be the proof that Heupel’s gamble to ditch Nico paid off?