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Joey Aguilar already winning Tennessee fans over in a way Nico Iamaleava never did

The new Vols QB is already impressing people all over Knoxville.
ByBraulio Perez|
Sep 19, 2024; Boone, North Carolina, USA; Appalachian State Mountaineers quarterback Joey Aguilar (4) throws a warmup pass before the game against the South Alabama Jaguars at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images
Sep 19, 2024; Boone, North Carolina, USA; Appalachian State Mountaineers quarterback Joey Aguilar (4) throws a warmup pass before the game against the South Alabama Jaguars at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

While the Tennessee Vols are yet to officially announce who's going to lead the offense out onto the field for the Week 1 dance with Syracuse, it's safe to assume it'll be Joey Aguilar, right? The former UCLA signee was essentially booted out of Westwood when Nico Iamaleava jumped ship.

However, this could prove to be a blessing in disguise for the veteran signal-caller and Tennessee as a whole. While Aguilar is yet to take part in a practice with the team, that doesn't mean he's not impressing people around town.

It's a small sample size, but over the weekend a video made the rounds of Aguilar at a meet and greet and he was all smiles while talking to young Tennessee fans. A quick look on social media shows that plenty of UT supporters are convinced Aguilar already cares more about the fanbase than Nico did:

Joey Aguilar has wasted no time getting involved in the Tennessee community

This isn't a knock on Iamaleava, but the thing is reports over the offseason sure were concerning. Apparently, Iamaleava was difficult to get to attend different fan events, and when he did show up, he'd reach out to his reps to make sure what he was being asked to do was part of his deal.

Hey, we get it, you're always going to want to make sure you're not being taken advantage of. However, look at the smile on Aguilar's face while interacting with Vols fans. He looks like someone who is grateful for this opportunity - someone who is going to give his all to the program.

Iamaleava went through the majority of spring ball with the Vols, but then he was a no-show for a session and that everything went wild. Josh Heupel and Tennessee weren't going to let him do whatever he wanted, which opened the door for Iamaleava to leave and sign with UCLA.

Now, Aguilar is getting ready to take over the offense and he's going to be playing with a chip on his shoulder. It's not going to be easy to replace a 5-star quarterback, but the gunslinger has people all over the state believing that he'll be able to excel under Heupel's guidance.

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