Tennessee Football Names UCLA Transfer Aguilar Starting Quarterback

As Tennessee's 2025 football season opener against Syracuse approaches, head coach Josh Heupel has named transfer quarterback Joey Aguilar as the starter after a competitive fall camp. Aguilar, who transferred from UCLA and previously played at Appalachian State, impressed with his growth, understanding of the offense, and command during training camp and scrimmages. Heupel emphasized Aguilar's decision-making, accuracy, and comfort with the playbook as key reasons for the choice, while acknowledging the strong competition from quarterbacks Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre. The Vols, ranked 24th, continue to prepare with a focus on improving all three phases of the game and integrating Aguilar's skill set into their offensive strategy. Meanwhile, in Tennessee basketball, associate head coach Justin Gainey discussed the challenge of replacing key leaders who graduated, highlighting the returning players' efforts to step into leadership roles authentically. The basketball team is also integrating new freshmen and transfers as they prepare for the upcoming season.