Four days ago, Josh Heupel stood in front of the media, post-scrimmage, and played coy. “I’m not naming a starter today alright?” he said after Tennessee’s first fall camp scrimmage in a closed-door Neyland Stadium. He made sure to sprinkle just enough praise across Joey Aguilar, Jake Merklinger, and George MacIntyre to keep the fanbase guessing. “All three of those guys have shown some really good characteristics of doing some special things with the b–l, also managing the game, eliminating negatives,” he told Tennessee Football Volquest. But if you’ve been around this game long enough, you know when a coach is bluffing. And now, the fog’s starting to clear.
When the only guy in your QB room who’s taken meaningful college snaps starts pulling ahead, history says you ride the experience. On3’s Pete Nakos’ report holds weight in this matter. After all, he was right in the middle of Nico Iamaleava‘s public NIL tug-of-war that ended in the QB bolting to UCLA this spring. Now, his On3 report on X on August 13 is that “Tennessee is trending towards naming UCLA transfer Joey Aguilar as its starting quarterback.” It’s not official yet, but anyone watching this competition closely knows momentum is building in one direction.
Tennessee is trending towards naming UCLA transfer Joey Aguilar as its starting quarterback, @PeteNakos_ reports
Intel: https://t.co/aX7EZnnDqC pic.twitter.com/ZA2QuzpnmT
— On3 (@On3sports) August 13, 2025
Joey Aguilar’s road to Knoxville hasn’t been a straight line. It’s more like a zigzag through the college football transfer portal maze. He first made noise at Appalachian State, where in 2023 he delivered one of the most prolific passing seasons in program history. He threw for 3,757 yards and 33 touchdowns with a Sun Belt Championship Game appearance. He broke records for passing yards, passing TDs, completions (293), attempts (460), and 200-yard games (13) in a single season. He capped it off with Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year and Cure Bowl MVP honors in a win over Miami (Ohio). Then he transferred to UCLA.
Originally, Joey Aguilar was supposed to have a stint at UCLA before Nico Iamaleava came to snatch his projected starting spot away. So, he re-entered the portal in the spring and landed in Knoxville to replace the guy who replaced him. Josh Heupel has liked what he’s seen so far. “With what we’re doing offensively in our installs, from protections to run game, controlling it, and what he’s seen on the other side of the football, how multiple we’ve been here in the early part of training camp,” he said post scrimmage. “I really like overall what he’s done. There’s still more for him within the structure and the details of it. But I like what he’s done.” That’s half the battle in August. But it’s not just him in the picture.
Joey Aguilar has able playmakers to compete with
Until the word is said, any kind of speculation can change in a hurry. And Tennessee’s QB room isn’t short on eager participants. Jake Merklinger, the steady redshirt freshman, came into camp expected to back up Nico Iamaleava before the transfer chaos. He hasn’t blinked when Josh Heupel brought in Joey Aguilar. He has a positive mindset, “a mindset of working hard, doing what I can to help my teammates and help this team win.” Then there’s George MacIntyre, the 6’6” in-state freshman with an FBS coaching pedigree.
In scrimmage No. 1, George MacIntyre was reportedly the most accurate passer of the day, though much of it came against twos and threes. That’s still enough to make coaches shuffle reps. Josh Heupel admits his poise is ahead of schedule. “He’s had good presence, good control of what we’re doing. There’s some areas that he’s going to have to continue to grow in. But I really like what George has done so far,” he said.
With three weeks until the Aug. 30 opener against Syracuse in Atlanta, the QB room feels less like a depth chart and more like a poker table with three cards face-down. This season, Josh Heupel is fixated on proving that the Vols can thrive even without their playoff QB. And if he’s already picked his new QB1, he’s still holding his cards close to the vest.
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