After many upsetting quarterback twists and turns, there’s finally a sliver of clarity on Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Vols in Knoxville. Nico Iamaleava’s $4 million NIL demand detonated the relationship between him and the program, with the former five-star signal caller heading west to UCLA. Now, Coach Heupel found himself scrambling in a recruiting chess match. Tennessee kicked the tires on Steve Angeli and even flirted with a Rocco Becht dream that ended before it began. But in the end, the Vols made a decision—and not the one everyone saw coming.

Instead of rolling with a more polished but less dynamic pocket passer or overpaying for potential. Tennessee landed a gritty, stat-stuffing veteran from the portal who’s thrown for more than 7,200 yards across the last two seasons. Joey Aguilar, formerly of Appalachian State and most recently at UCLA, is the newest face of Heupel’s high-octane offense.

Ross Dellenger of Yahoo! Sports noted that if finalized, Aguilar’s deal “is expected to pay him significantly less (7 figures less) than Nico Iamaleava’s scheduled $2.4 million compensation.” That’s a substantial recalibration in the NIL war room. Josh Heupel didn’t just get a QB—he got one without blowing a hole through Tennessee’s collective checkbook.

Aguilar isn’t just a financial win—he’s a statistical beast. He threw for 3,003 yards last year, leading the Sun Belt, and his two-year total clocks in at over 7,216 yards, including his rushing contributions. His game has grit and fluidity—he can extend plays, sling it deep, and doesn’t freeze under pressure. While Nico brought raw tools and a sky-high ceiling, Aguilar brings timing, toughness, and tape. Most importantly, he’s proven. And in a post-Nico world, that might be exactly what Tennessee needs.

The Vols didn’t land here without exploring other options. Steve Angeli’s name swirled in the portal winds, with The Ruffino & Joe Show pushing the Notre Dame transfer as a system fit. “Tennessee needs to go all in here,” Joe DeLeone urged. “Because if you can’t pluck a starter from another program, going and bringing in Steve Angeli is your smartest move. Because Steve Angeli is going to be on target, he is going to be on time, he’s going to keep the offense on schedule and moving ahead. And in an offense that is purely based on timing, Nico’s biggest struggles were hesitation. A lot of hesitation.” That hesitation—mental processing speed—was often the knock on Nico’s transition to Heupel’s tempo-based scheme. Timing is gospel in Knoxville, and indecision is sin.

On3’s Pete Nakos also stirred the pot, reporting that Tennessee would “evaluate” Angeli as a real possibility, but things stalled. Then came the Rocco Becht talk. For a minute, the Iowa State gunslinger became a white whale for the Vols. But recruiting analyst Steve Wiltfong poured cold water on the idea: “Becht is happy with the Cyclones.” And in one of the more baller moves of this portal cycle, Becht proved it by donating his NIL money to a children’s hospital in Ames. That kind of maturity and loyalty slammed the door on any Knoxville hope.

The Bruins fella is not a splashy five-star name, but he’s thrown more than most guys have dreamed of and played in systems that required poise and quick decisions.

Josh Heupel’s underdog move meets absurd criticism

Some Tennessee fans are already up in arms about Josh Heupel’s decision to bring in Joey Aguilar, and honestly? You’d be kind of stunned by the reaction. Yes, believe it or not, there’s already a mini-uproar from corners of Vol Twitter. A few fans are tossing out words like “whiffed” and “missed” as if Tennessee dropped the ball on landing a five-star QB this late in the game.

Look, the Vols were in a brutal position after Nico Iamaleava’s unexpected exit. It’s April. There was never going to be a “star” quarterback willing to leave a comfy, established situation to jump ship this late. That’s not how this works. No amount of (reasonable) NIL cash was going to lure a Caleb Williams-type out of the blue.

Aguilar may not be a household name, but neither were Josh Dobbs or Hendon Hooker when they arrived in Knoxville. And look how those stories turned out. So instead of nitpicking Heupel’s move, maybe give Aguilar a chance to write his own Cinderella chapter on Rocky Top. Stranger things have happened before.