Tennessee revealed on Sunday night that Joey Aguilar would be the starting quarterback for the Aug. 30 season opener against Syracuse inside Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
On Tuesday afternoon, fifth-year Volunteers coach Josh Heupel explained why.
“That entire room competed at a really high level, and they competed the right way, too,” Heupel said in a news conference after practice. “They pushed each other in a positive way in the meeting room and out on the practice field. I think our team has great confidence in all those guys.
“Joey through the course of training camp each and every day continued to grow and take steps with the understanding of what we’re doing and the comfort level. He played well in the scrimmages and had good command, and that ultimately led to the decision that we made.”
Sunday’s announcement was the latest in a busy few months for Aguilar, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound graduate transfer from Antioch, California. He started the past two seasons at Appalachian State but transferred to UCLA, where he practiced this past spring until getting in the NCAA transfer portal again and arriving in Knoxville.
Aguilar earned the starting job over redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger, a 6-3, 215-pounder from Savannah, Georgia, and true freshman George MacIntyre, a 6-6, 195-pounder who played last season at Brentwood Academy. Heupel said he rendered the verdict to all three quarterbacks at the same time.
“I’ve been in that situation on both sides of it,” Heupel said. “You understand that there is going to be heartache and disappointment, and if there isn’t any of that, then you’ve got a real problem. It was a tough decision for us, and we had talked about that with those guys.
“There is the pain of disappointment, right? Coming in that next day, though, you’ve got to find a way to be a great teammate and the same guy who competes. You’ve named a starter, but you never know when your opportunity is going to be coming.”
After Tennessee named Aguilar through a social media post, Syracuse on Monday morning announced that Notre Dame transfer Steve Angeli would quarterback the Orange against the Vols. Neither Aguilar nor Angeli were at their current schools for spring practice.
Heupel’s message about opportunity has been reflected in each of his first four years, with Hendon Hooker replacing an injured Joe Milton III in the second game of the 2021 season and with Milton replacing an injured Hooker in the 11th game of the 2022 season. Milton opted out of the Citrus Bowl following the 2023 regular season, which opened the door for Nico Iamaleava, and even Iamaleava sustained a concussion last season against Mississippi State that resulted in Gaston Moore having to play the second half of that game.
“The strength of a position room, quarterback included, can never just be one guy,” Heupel said. “Those guys have all grown, but Joey coming here in May and having to learn the offense throughout late spring and the summer and getting on the grass with our guys and learning how to practice with us just continued to trend upward in his comfort, control and command of what we’re doing.”
What about Boo?
Heupel was asked Tuesday about sophomore defensive back Boo Carter and what he has to do between now and the opener to reclaim quality playing time.
“Boo has continued to grow in the things that we’re asking him to do in order to be a great teammate inside of this building every single day,” Heupel said. “The charge for him and for all of us is to continue to do that. Boo has continued to grow in what he’s doing on the field, so I’m excited and pleased with a lot of things I’ve seen from him.”
Wolverines win out
Tennessee was a finalist for the nation’s top running back in the 2026 signing cycle, but Savion Hiter from Mineral, Virginia, committed Tuesday to Michigan.
The 6-foot, 200-pounder took official visits to Ohio State (May 30), Georgia (June 6), Michigan (June 13) and Tennessee (June 20) before picking the Wolverines.
Odds and ends
Heupel on the starting center battle between William Satterwhite and Notre Dame transfer Sam Pendleton: “Both of those guys have competed really well and grown. There is still competition, and we’re going to need both of them as we get to the fall.” … Heupel on freshman defensive linemen who have the opportunity to step up with Daevin Hobbs injured: “Ethan Utley has been explosive at the line of scrimmage and is doing a good job at the point of attack, and Isaiah Campbell has wide hips and strong, explosive power. Both of those guys continue to grow in a really good way.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.