Experts give Vols QB Joey Aguilar a puncher’s chance at doing something that no Tennessee player has done since Peyton Manning
The Vols’ signal caller is off to a great start in 2025.
It’s been a hot minute since the Tennessee Vols have had a player make it to the Downtown Athletic Club in New York City as a Heisman Trophy finalist.
Peyton Manning is the most recent Volunteer to make it there, which he did in 1997 when he was infamously passed over by the voters in favor of Michigan Wolverines CB Charles Woodson. Hendon Hooker was having a Heisman-worthy season in 2022 before a knee injury ended his season late in the year against South Carolina. His omission as a finalist was very controversial given the elite season he’d put forth until that point.
However, if the oddsmakers are to be believed, current Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar has a viable pathway to becoming a Heisman Trophy finalist. BetMGM put out their current Heisman Trophy odds, and Aguilar is tied for eighth best among all players at +2000. He is tied with Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt, Notre Dame QB CJ Carr, and Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed.
Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar has eighth-best Heisman Trophy odds, per BetMGM
Aguilar’s elevation of the Tennessee passing attack has been well publicized this year, as Tennessee reached 40 points in their first five games for the first time ever. Aguilar exploded onto the national scene back on September 13 in a 44-41 overtime loss to the Georgia Bulldogs. He completed 24 of 36 passes for 371 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. One of those picks came when a receiver fell down.
Through 5 games, he’s completed 65% of his throws for 1459 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. Two of those interceptions came against Mississippi State when the ball bounced up off of TE Miles Kitselman’s hands, although Aguilar took ownership of that when perhaps he didn’t have to.
But what is intriguing is the opportunity ahead for Aguilar and the Vols. A chance at carving up a susceptible Arkansas defense awaits on Saturday, and then the eyes of the nation will be on Tennessee and Alabama the following weekend, as The Third Saturday in October will take place under the lights in Tuscaloosa. Beyond that, opportunities at statement wins abound in November against Oklahoma, at Florida (throw out the records there), and against Vanderbilt.
Aguilar already bucked one trend with a monster performance against a Georgia team that has eaten Tennessee’s lunch for years before 2025. If he can continue to deliver impactful performances and get the Vols in position to potentially make the College Football Playoff again, then it might not be wise to bet against the Vols’ signal caller when it comes to making it to New York City in early December.
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