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How Joey Aguilar's Tennessee Football Decision Benefits Faizon Brandon

Tennessee needed a transfer portal QB, and the decision was wise. They added a guy who allows everyone in the QB room, and QB commit Faizon Brandon to benefit.
Caleb Sisk|
Former UCLA Bruins QB Joey Aguilar on his visit to UCLA prior to announcing his transfer decision.
Former UCLA Bruins QB Joey Aguilar on his visit to UCLA prior to announcing his transfer decision. | Joey Aguilar

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Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee needed a transfer portal QB, and the decision was wise. They added a guy who allows everyone in the QB room, and QB commit Faizon Brandon to benefit.

The Tennessee Volunteers were in need of a transfer portal QB this Spring as former starting QB Nico Iamaleava decided he would be transferring out of Knoxville. His destination was later announced to be UCLA, which ultimately led Joey Aguilar to make the decision to enter the transfer portal himself.

Aguilar is a former Appalachian State starter for two seasons. He entered the transfer portal in the Winter and made the decision to join UCLA, just to enter the portal, and reports circulated that he would be joining the Tennessee Volunteers hours after entering.

Although adding another QB can change the now for the other QBs, it also benefits them in a different way.

Adding the UCLA transfer helps George MacIntyre, because now the Vols can likely go with their original plan of redshirting him. He was likely going to have to play this season, but adding a guy can help calm the situation, as they can trust in Jake Merklinger and Aguilar as long as they remain healthy this upcoming season.

The decision helps Merklinger in its own way, because it gives Merklinger more time to learn the system and get valuable reps, as he was the third-string guy last season. That is a big jump for the Vols QB as his role will be bigger, but not a massive jump at least initially.

This decision also helps keep a good standing with QB commit Faizon Brandon. Brandon is the No. 1 QB in the class of 2025 and has plenty of potential to compete for the starting job next season. Brandon never shared his opinion on adding a veteran or younger guy, but adding a veteran allows him to have more of a chance to make an impact earlier in his career than if they added a younger option.

This will be a one-and-done season as Aguilar only has one year of eligibility and will look to make his final college season count, but this time in the Orange and White under the bright Neyland Stadium lights.

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Caleb Sisk
CALEB SISK

Caleb Sisk is a talented sports journalist from the state of Georgia. Originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee, Sisk's passion for sports grew. Bringing years of recruiting coverage experience, he has been named a National Recruiting Reporter and covers various college sites on the On SI network. He takes pride in covering recruiting and has been featured by numerous companies for his excellent coverage and knowledge. He has also spent time at other companies, including Rivals, where he covered the Tennessee Volunteers.

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