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First look at Joey Aguilar in Tennessee orange is what fans have been waiting for

What will Aguilar be able to get done this season?
Braulio Perez
Braulio Perez

All for Tennessee

Sep 14, 2024; Greenville, North Carolina, USA; Appalachian State Mountaineers quarterback Joey Aguilar (4) looks down field against the East Carolina Pirates during the second half at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images / James Guillory-Imagn Images

What can Tennessee football fans expect from the quarterback play this season? Things are up in the air, as Nico Iamaleava is no longer in town and it's unknown who his replacement will be - head man Josh Heupel said there will be an open competition at fall camp.

However, plenty of people are convinced that App State/UCLA transfer Joey Aguilar is going to be able to separate himself and beat out both George MacIntyre and Jake Merklinger for the job. He's got the experience advantage, there's no doubt about that.

While he's going to have to earn the job, expectations are already pretty high for Aguilar. With that said, we've been given a first look at him in an orange Tennessee jersey and he already looks the part of a QB who's going to put on a show in the SEC this campaign:

Joey Aguilar already looks like a natural in an orange Tennessee football jersey

Aura? You bet. Should Aguilar go on to win the starting job, there's hope that he'll be able to record some monster numbers while working with head man Josh Heupel. Last season for App State, the 6-3, 220-pounder tossed for 3,003 yards and 23 touchdowns.

The season before, he posted 3,757 yards and 33 TDs. He's got a rocket for an arm and he's not afraid to take some chances down the field. This is going to be crucial for him in '25, especially in some close games against conference opponents.

Aguilar had a busy offseason, originally transferring to UCLA. It was a homecoming for the California product, but things got messed up when Iamaleava entered the portal and decided he wanted to make the move to Westwood. That could end up being a blessing in disguise for Aguilar if he can live up to the early hype surrounding his game.

Come fall camp, the best man will come out on top and then eventually lead the offense out onto the field against Syracuse. Aug. 30 can't get here soon enough and Aguilar is no question pretty dang fired up to make his Vols debut.

Braulio Perez

Braulio Perez

Braulio Perez is an NCAA Content Director for FanSided, joining Minute Media in 2017 after 2.5 years at the Newark Star-Ledger as a high school sports reporter and 2.5 years at the Lynden Tribune as sports editor. While with the Lynden Tribune, Perez was named the Sports Writer of the Year in 2012 for his division by the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association. At the Star-Ledger, he also assisted in coverage of college football recruiting. Perez's focus has been on college football recruiting, high school sports, the NFL, NCAA and English Premier League. He is also a regular contributor for 247Sports' Cougfan.com.