From Nearly Quitting Football to Leading the SEC in Passing: Joey Aguilar Arrives in the Swamp

Joey Aguilar has never played in the Swamp, but he’ll arrive Saturday night as the SEC’s leading passer and the engine behind Tennessee’s prolific, top-three offense.

The 24-year-old graduate transfer will guide No. 20 Tennessee (7-3) into Gainesville for a 7:30 p.m. rivalry game against Florida (3-7). He leads a Vols offense that ranks first among Power Four teams in scoring at 43.4 points per game and second nationally in total offense at 495 yards per game.

Aguilar has passed for 2,941 yards and 22 touchdowns this season, topping the SEC in both categories. He has thrown for at least 200 yards in all 33 starts of his FBS career, dating back to his time at Appalachian State. He’s also earned national recognition, landing on the watchlists for the Manning Award, Maxwell Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and Hispanic College Football Player of the Year.

Gators interim coach Billy Gonzales commented about Florida’s upcoming opponent.

“Tennessee is second in the nation in scoring offense, second in total offense, third in first downs. They’re explosive. They take some shots downfield. They’ve got a quarterback that’s come in and done a fantastic job for them this year.”

Aguilar’s path to Knoxville was far from typical. With no Division I offers coming out of Freedom High School in Antioch, California, he then redshirted at City College of San Francisco. When the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out his 2020 JUCO season, he stepped away from football and briefly considered becoming a firefighter.

But instead, Aguilar transferred to Diablo Valley College, fought for the starting job, found success and earned a spot at Appalachian State. He shattered multiple program records in Boone by passing for 6,760 yards and 56 touchdowns over two seasons, earning Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year honors in 2023. He decided to transfer to UCLA but then made the move to Tennessee in April as part of an unofficial “quarterback trade” when Nico Iamaleava left Knoxville for UCLA.

Aguilar fit the Volunteers right away.

He tied a Tennessee record held by Peyton Manning with 371 passing yards against Georgia earlier this season, the most ever in the rivalry by a Vol. He also threw for four touchdowns in that game. Aguilar followed up with a season-high 396-yard performance at Kentucky. Aguilar has 10 career 300-yard passing games, including four this year. He also brings mobility to the pocket with 575 career rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns, including a 59-yard outing against Arkansas.

Still, Florida’s defense may have chances to turn the tide.

He’s aggressive with the deep ball and isn’t afraid to take risks, especially in tempo. Florida will need to disrupt his rhythm, generate pressure and take advantage of his willingness to challenge tight windows. Aguilar has thrown 10 interceptions this season, including four in the last two games. That total places him among the top 10 in the FBS. Capitalizing on that weakness and winning the turnover battle could be the difference for Florida.

The Gators have struggled to limit explosive plays in recent weeks and must stay disciplined against Aguilar’s vertical attack. Tennessee coach Josh Heupel’s offense uses pace and spacing to stretch the field and test secondaries sideline to sideline.

“We need to make sure our communication is good,” linebacker Aaron Chiles said, referring to slowing down Tennessee’s fast tempo.

Tennessee’s last win in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium dates way back to 2003. Florida will look to keep its streak alive Saturday night with the help of a sold-out crowd for the 17th straight game.

“The Swamp is like no other,” Chiles said. “Just having our fans there is going to play a big factor. When we make a big play and the crowd goes crazy, it boosts the team up.”

Gonzales echoed that confidence, especially with Florida returning home for the first time in a month. “Our players will be ready to play,” Gonzales said. “The opportunity to come back home in front of the Swamp in a night game… our players will be ready.”

Can a quarterback who once thought about leaving football end Tennessee’s 22-year drought in Gainesville? Florida’s defense will try to make sure he doesn’t.

Category: College Football, Football, Gainesville, Gator Sports, Gators Football, NCAA, SEC