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Josh Heupel on the Nico Iamaleava situation: 'Let's start calling it the Joey Aguilar situation'

IMG_3593by: Grant Ramey05/01/25GrantRamey
Tennessee Volunteers Head Coach Josh Heupel via Matt Ray/On3
Tennessee Volunteers Head Coach Josh Heupel via Matt Ray/On3

Josh Heupel had the microphone in his hand as he sat back and listened to the question Wednesday afternoon on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville. Tennessee’s head coach was asked during his radio appearance how surprised he was about “the Nico Iamaleava situation.”

“Let’s start calling it the Joey Aguilar situation,” Heupel replied. 

Aguilar is Tennessee’s new quarterback, transferring from UCLA to the Vols after Iamaleava transferred from the Vols to UCLA.

“End of the day,” Heupel said during the radio appearance on 104.5’s 3HL, “that’s just the landscape. You’re not going to keep everybody.”

Tennessee, Nico Iamaleava parted ways on April 12

The breakup between Tennessee and Iamaleava was messy, public and the biggest story of college football’s offseason. It was also a first: A player looking for more money and a head coach drawing a line in the sand. 

It was reported by On3’s Pete Nakos on April 10 that Iamaleava was in negotiations for a new NIL deal, seeking more money entering his second season as Tennessee’s starting quarterback. 

The next morning, Iamaleava failed to show up for Tennessee’s final spring practice and was not in communication with Heupel or his coaching staff regarding the surprising absence. 

That led to Heupel moving on from the five-star redshirt freshman, sending shockwaves through the sport. 

Heupel told his players the morning of April 12, ahead of the Orange & White Game at Neyland Stadium, that the Vols were done with Iamaleava, leaving redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and freshman George MacIntyre as the only quarterbacks on roster for the spring game. 

“We’re moving forward as a program without him,” Heupel said at the time. “I said it to the guys today, there’s no one that’s bigger than the Power T and that includes me.”

Joey Aguilar left UCLA after Bruins signed Nico Iamaleava

Little did Heupel know at the time, but Tennessee and UCLA would be swapping quarterbacks. Iamaleava committed to the Bruins eight days later, leading Aguilar to reenter the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Aguilar in December had transferred from Appalachian State to UCLA, but left the Bruins after they brought in Iamaleava. 

Aguilar over the last two seasons at Appalachian State threw for 6,760 yards and 56 touchdowns while completing 60.1% of his passes over 25 games. 

He had 3,003 yards and 23 touchdowns in 11 games in 2024 and 3,757 yards and 33 touchdowns in 14 games in 2023. 

“You got opportunities to put your roster together,” Heupel said on Wednesday. “I feel like we got a team that is accountable, connected, works hard and competes hard. We’re built to win. Now we got to go earn it every single day. 

“And we got some new pieces that we’ve got to get on boarded here in the course of May. That’s the nature of college football. So we’ll keep competing and keep growing.”

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