‘I think it’s clear who won the trade’ — Father of Tennessee Vols’ QB Joey Aguilar weighs in on the QB switch between Tennessee and UCLA
Joey Aguilar’s father has some understandable feelings after a wild offseason.
The quarterback exchange – heck, let’s call it what it was: a quarterback trade – between Tennessee and UCLA this offseason was the talk of college football. For reasons reported from the Iamaleava family’s concerns with Tennessee’s offensive personnel to increased NIL demands, the fallout between Nico Iamaleava and the program was quick, as was the departure.
Enter Joey Aguilar, who had transferred to UCLA from App State but changed course to Knoxville in the wake of the Iamaleava transfer to the Bruins.
As one might expect, Aguilar’s family has been pleased with the turn of events, and his father, Jose, spoke with Pete Nakos of On3 Sports about the transition.
Aguilar’s father is thankful for how things worked out between Iamaleava and his son this offseason
“We don’t have any problems with Nico,” Jose Aguilar told Nakos. “If anything, it’s thank you. Joey is in a great spot. That’s what I would say, thank you. He did what he decided to do. Everything that happened, happened. I think it’s clear who won the trade. Look at the fans and the stats. Everything happens for a reason.
“We’re not at Tennessee without Nico making the decisions he made.”
Through two weeks, things have gone undoubtedly better for Aguilar than Iamaleava with each player’s new team. Aguilar has shown a playmaking ability in the passing game that has been largely missing, particularly for the majority of the 2024 season with Iamaleava under center for the Vols. Meanwhile, Iamaleava has struggled as the Bruins have fallen to 0-2 with unsightly losses to Utah and UNLV.
Vol fans can put the whole Iamaleava controversy even further in the rearview mirror and embrace what they have in Aguilar on Saturday, when Tennessee takes on the Georgia Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium. With the spark that Aguilar has brought to the offense, there’s a level of excitement around this game that’s palpable from a Tennessee perspective not felt in years.
And Jose added that Aguilar will make more believers around the country this weekend against the Bulldogs.
“He’s been doubted his whole life,” he told Nakos. “I don’t get it. But people still don’t think he can do it. He will show everyone this weekend.”
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