Report indicates how much Joey Aguilar will earn as the Tennessee Vols’ starting quarterback
Joey Aguilar will serve as the Tennessee Vols’ starting quarterback in the program’s season-opener against the Syracuse Orange on August 30 in Atlanta. Tennessee announced on Sunday evening that Aguilar won the Vols’ starting quarterback competition, beating out redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and true freshman George MacIntyre (VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs first reported the news). Aguilar […]
Joey Aguilar will serve as the Tennessee Vols’ starting quarterback in the program’s season-opener against the Syracuse Orange on August 30 in Atlanta.
Tennessee announced on Sunday evening that Aguilar won the Vols’ starting quarterback competition, beating out redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and true freshman George MacIntyre (VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs first reported the news).
Aguilar wasn’t promised the starting job when he transferred from UCLA to Tennessee earlier this spring — the UT coaching staff was clear that there would be an open quarterback competition.
“They told me I gotta come in here and compete,” said Aguilar to The Athletic in July. “They have a good QB room already with George and Jake. I’m not coming in expecting to be the starter right away. Everywhere I’ve been, I had to earn the right to be the guy…Nothing in my life has been given to me, which is perfectly fine because it just makes me work harder.”
While Aguilar wasn’t guaranteed the job, the expectation was that he would ultimately win the competition — and the NIL deal he signed with Tennessee reflects that.
According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Aguilar will earn around $1.2 million in 2025.
Nakos reported in the spring that Merklinger signed a new NIL deal with the Vols, calling the agreement a “six figure deal”.
“Quarterback Jake Merklinger has inked a new contract with Tennessee ahead of the 2025 season, sources tell On3….Merklinger’s deal provides a boost in compensation, but the full terms of the six-figure deal were not disclosed,” wrote Nakos in April.
MacIntyre also has an NIL deal with Tennessee, though it’s unclear how much it’s worth.
Tennessee Volunteers News
Joey Aguilar was named the Tennessee Vols’ starting quarterback; Boo Carter was hoping a different quarterback would win the job
Former UCLA Bruins quarterback Joey Aguilar was officially named the Tennessee Vols’ starting quarterback on Sunday evening. Aguilar, who transferred from UCLA to Tennessee in April in the wake of Nico Iamaleava’s transfer from Tennessee to UCLA, beat out redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and true freshman George MacIntyre for the job. Tennessee opens the season […]
