Former Tennessee Vols quarterback Joey Aguilar is at the NFL Combine this week after not receiving another year of eligibility from a Knox County Judge last Friday. Aguilar will forever be etched in Tennessee history as the guy who saved the day when Tennessee was left standing at the altar by their former starter, Nico Iamaleava.
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Now, Aguilar is preparing for the NFL Draft, where he has hopes of being selected. Right now, where he will be selected is up in the air, but he's looking like a day-three pick or an undrafted free agent at this point in time. If he can hit a home run in his interviews and workouts, there is certainly a path for him to get drafted. He aslo still has a Tennesse Pro Day to look forward to as well, where we can make some noise.
Today, quarterbacks are meeting with the media, and Aguilar spoke on how Heupel's offense has evolved and how it has prepared him more for the NFL Draft.
"I think the offense in general, if you go back and watch film, was a little less option game and a lot more pro-style offense and pure progression reads and things like that," said Aguilar. "I think the offense that we ran this year was different than the past few years. I'm excited for this journey and the next steps."
Joey Aguilar says Tennessee implemented a lot more pro-style concepts in 2025 that will help him make that transition pic.twitter.com/3Jt7kvLGJv
— Lucas Panzica (@lucaspanzica) February 27, 2026
QB Joey Aguilar says Tennessee's offense has evolved
It’s interesting this comes up, because SEC fans often criticize Heupel, saying his offense doesn’t translate players to the next level and that Tennessee relies too heavily on a gimmicky scheme to succeed. Aguilar is putting an end to this, too, stating how Tennessee is going to a more pure progression type of scheme compared to option routes and such. This should help destroy the narrative that Tennessee doesn't produce NFL-caliber offensive players, despite the Vols consistently being in the top 10 in yards and points.
If Aguilar is drafted, he would be the third Tennessee quarterback drafted in the last four years, joining Hendon Hooker and Joe Milton.