This offseason was a brutal one for Josh Heupel. But when you zoom out of the drama that surrounded him, it was also a little tough for Joey Aguilar. But at the end of the day, it is he and Heupel who get to have the last laugh. Aguilar has been impressive as the Vols’ QB1, and he’s set for his first big game in the SEC. Ahead of the game, UT tried to hype up the QB with an exciting launch. His mom, Lydia Aguilar, is in awe of everything happening to her son at Rocky Top.

Aguilar thought he’d made a huge leap in the FBS earlier this year by transferring from Appalachian State to UCLA. There was room for him, and his experience made him a strong candidate to win the starting job. But who knew that an even bigger jump was written for him? Aguilar has been way too good as Tennessee’s starting QB1 so far. After just 2 games with the Vols, he’s ended up as the highest-rated Tennessee QB on PFF, with a grade of 94.2 for his ETSU show. Fans are accepting the new man at the front, leading the Volunteer charge. And to keep that mood up, Tennessee brought in more Joey Aguilar jerseys so that fans can cheer for him in his first big game today.

Joey Aguilar will face off against rival Georgia in a key game for both sides. Neyland Stadium sure will be dotted with jerseys that bear No. 6 in bold. The QB’s mother, Lydia Aguilar, is taking note of the mark of appreciation. “So amazing to see !!! #6” she wrote, sharing an image of the new drop. Aguilar has switched between a few numbers before landing at 6 this season. He played as No. 4 at Appalachian State and was hoping to do so at UCLA as well. But now in the orange and white, No. 6 is growing to be the new star of Tennessee. It’s a huge night for Aguilar today, and he’ll want all the support he can get.

Aguilar is getting marks of approval from the greats as well. Nick Saban said on College GameDay, “When it comes to executing their offense at Tennessee, he’s been exceptional.” But the Georgia game is going to be a big one for Aguilar. He’s played against Power 4 opponents only thrice before in his career. To make matters challenging, Kirby Smart’s defense ranks no. 8 in the country in yards allowed per game (201.5).

Moreover, Georgia enjoys an 8-win streak over Tennessee. The Vols travelled to Georgia last year, but Nico Iamaleava couldn’t win them the game. The fortunes may finally be different with Aguilar as the QB1. It’s been a long and tough journey for Joey, who sat down to narrate it ahead of this life-changing game tonight.

Joey Aguilar gives a fan a glimpse at his tough journey till Rocky Top

“From high school to JUCO, to not playing, to App State, and to here,” Aguilar summed up his journey in short in a chat with ESPN. “I came back to this game for a reason,” he added. No Power conference program offered to Aguilar when he was in high school. That’s why he had a humble start with City College of San Francisco. But then COVID hit, shut down his season, and forced him to think about hanging up his cleats. “I was very close [to quitting] because I was thinking to myself, like, I’m gonna be a little older. I might as well start a career,” he said.

An opportunity opened up at Diablo Valley, and since then, Aguilar has proved why some risks need to be taken. From there, he charted an impressive journey to Appalachian State and is finally home at Tennessee. Ahead of his big game tonight, he let fans in on how he felt about his whole journey. “Tears of just straight joy. You know, I know my mom probably had flashbacks of me as well, telling her like, ‘I’m not sure if I want to keep doing this,’” he told ESPN. Today, he is Tennessee’s biggest hope.

Aguilar took one more leap of faith in the transfer portal when Nico Iamaleava made his move to UCLA. In such a short span of time, it’s the new Tennessee QB who is turning out as the better choice. The Iamaleava era seems to formally be in the past now, as Aguilar replaces him as the fans’ favorite this season.