Chris LowApr 21, 2025, 08:04 PM ET
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- School soccer reporter
- Joined ESPN.com in 2007
- Graduate of the College of Tennessee
An afternoon after Nico Iamaleava finalized his transfer from Tennessee to UCLA, Joey Aguilar is doing the similar from UCLA to Tennessee in what is necessarily a quarterback business, resources informed ESPN on Monday.
Aguilar transferred from Appalachian State to UCLA throughout the wintry weather portal and was once the front-runner to be the Bruins’ beginning quarterback q4. However UCLA introduced the signing of Iamaleava on Sunday, and Aguilar entered the spring portal Monday.
Tennessee trainer Josh Heupel mentioned on April 12 when pronouncing this system was once shifting ahead with out Iamaleava that the Vols would upload some other quarterback within the spring portal. When Aguilar changed into to be had, Tennessee right away confirmed hobby. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound senior has twelve months of eligibility last after passing for six,760 yards and 56 touchdowns the previous two seasons at Appalachian State. Aguilar, at the beginning from Antioch, California, began his occupation at Diablo Valley Group School.
The deal that Aguilar is finalizing to visit Tennessee is identical financially to the deal that he prior to now had at UCLA, resources informed ESPN’s Pete Thamel. He had $1.2 million left at UCLA on his deal, and his new deal at Tennessee is with reference to that. Factoring in taxes, it’ll be equivalent pay for Aguilar. He’d additionally already made greater than $200,000 in his first few months at UCLA.
Iamaleava, Tennessee’s starter remaining season as a redshirt freshman, entered the portal remaining Wednesday, the day it opened. He skipped follow the former Friday and did not alert coaches or teammates. After a number of folks across the program attempted to touch him that day, Iamaleava referred to as offensive coordinator Joey Halzle that night time to tell him that he was once getting into the portal and did not attend the Vols’ spring recreation day after today. That morning, Heupel — who mentioned he by no means heard from Iamaleava — informed the workforce that Iamaleava would now not be a part of this system.
Heupel thanked Iamaleava for his contributions to this system however added, “There is no one that is larger than the Energy T, and that comes with me.”
Iamaleava’s representatives had been pushing to have his NIL deal higher, resources informed ESPN, and On3 reported the Thursday prior to Iamaleava overlooked follow Friday that the 2 facets had been in negotiations. Iamaleava was once set to earn within the $2.4 million vary this 12 months from Tennessee. He signed his preliminary contract with the Spyre Sports activities Staff, a Tennessee-based collective, whilst nonetheless in highschool. His complete deal was once reportedly $8 million however would had been nearer to $10 million had he stayed all of the time at Tennessee. Assets informed ESPN that Iamaleava’s representatives sought after a deal within the $4 million vary for him to stick at Tennessee for a 3rd season.
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Iamaleava redshirted his first season on campus and took over the beginning tasks remaining 12 months in serving to to steer Tennessee to the School Soccer Playoff. He completed with 2,616 passing yards and 19 touchdowns however handed for greater than 200 yards handiest two times in 9 video games in opposition to SEC warring parties and Ohio State within the playoff recreation.
Aguilar was once the Solar Belt Convention Newcomer of the Yr in 2023 and began 24 video games throughout his two years at Appalachian State. He set a college report with 4,002 yards of overall offense his first season for the Mountaineers and some other college report for the common season with 33 landing passes. His numbers dipped some in 2024 with 3,003 passing yards and 23 touchdowns. He had a occupation top of 424 yards on 32 completions in a win over East Carolina. Aguilar was once intercepted 14 instances remaining season and threw 24 interceptions throughout his two-year occupation at Appalachian State.
As information broke remaining week that UCLA was once a most probably vacation spot for Iamaleava, Aguilar’s representatives started achieving out to other colleges to gauge hobby.
UCLA trainer DeShaun Foster mentioned two weeks in the past that he had “complete trust” in what offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri may just do with Aguilar as a result of Sunseri’s “report with one-year quarterbacks.”
Foster mentioned on a daily basis within the spring that Aguilar was once settling down and “getting extra at ease operating the offense.” Aguilar were on campus for a part of handiest 3 months. He will have about that very same period of time to get able for the beginning of preseason follow at Tennessee. He’s going to sign up for redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and true freshman George MacIntyre as the 3 scholarship quarterbacks at the roster. Neither has performed a significant school snap.
