Tennessee Volunteers’ Shocking 2025 Quarterback Choice Sets College Football Abuzz

So, after the weeks of speculations, finger-pointing during fall camp, and endless quarterback debates, Josh Heupel has finally spoken: Joey Aguilar will be the Tennessee Volunteers’ starting quarterback. Honestly, it’s a move that makes you wonder—when it comes to leading a high-stakes offense, does seasoned grit beat youthful promise every time? Aguilar’s journey from JUCO fields to App State fame, and now to the SEC spotlight, shows he’s not just a placeholder but a player who’s been sharpened by experience and pressure. Heupel’s praise rings loud—comfort, control, mental focus—and that’s exactly what the Volunteers need to build on their recent 10-3 success. The question now: can Aguilar turn all those scrimmage nods into real game-day glory? Buckle up, Tennessee fans—the season opener against Syracuse is around the corner, and all eyes will be on the new man under center. LEARN MORE.

Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers have finally made their decision at starting quarterback, selecting Joey Aguilar to command the offensive snaps.

The program announced the news on Sunday, per On3’s Brent Hubbs. This comes after Tennessee spent multiple weeks of getting themselves adapted throughout fall camp while figuring out their strengths and weaknesses.

“I thought he handled himself extremely well,” head coach Josh Heupel said about Aguilar’s performance in their scrimmage on Sunday. “That’s today, but I think he’s got better, from day one up until today’s scrimmage. Really every single day. Comfort and control. He’s handled himself extremely well during our night walkthroughs, which is mental focus, mental sweat. And because of that, he’s extremely comfortable in what we’re doing right now.”

Aguilar won the starting job after competing with redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and freshman George MacIntyre for the spot. The contest ends as the Volunteers have made their move.

At the helm.@Jooey16_ | #GBO pic.twitter.com/QNf0NaNFFs

— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) August 18, 2025

What’s next for Tennessee after selecting Joey Aguilar

It’s clear that Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers valued experience at the starting quarterback spot. That is a box Joey Aguilar easily checked, having been in the college football realm since 2019.

Aguilar started out at the JUCO level, representing CCSF and Diablo Balley in his first four years. He took the next step to the FBS level, taking his talents to App State in 2023. The move proved to be a success, winning Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year that season.

Aguilar departed the Mountaineers after two years, finishing with a 13-11 record. He completed 511 passes for 6,759 yards and 56 touchdowns. He was also active on the ground, making 140 rushes for 452 yards and five scores.

The experienced quarterback took his talents to the transfer portal, originally going to the UCLA Bruins. However, he changed course as he went to the Volunteers after the Bruins got Nico Iamaleava from Tennessee.

The Volunteers enter their fifth year with Heupel at the helm. They are coming off a solid 2024 season, finishing with a 10-3 record as they went 6-2 in SEC Play. They secured a spot in the College Football Playoff but fell 42-17 to the eventual national champions Ohio State in the first round.

Tennessee will look forward to building on that success, being the No. 24-ranked team in the AP Top 25. They begin the season at home, hosting the Syracuse Orange on Aug. 30 at 12 p.m. ET.

The post Tennessee Volunteers make huge decision on 2025 starting quarterback appeared first on ClutchPoints.