Joey Aguilar

● Solid height and frame, with quality mass on his body ● Above-average arm strength, with smooth three-quarter release ● Can uncork deep balls with workable placement (26 completions of more than 20 air yards in 2025) ● Has a feel for leading and connecting with receivers on post routes ● Relaxed at the top of his drop and finds his best option ● Tough in the pocket to make throws with rush bearing down on him ● Functional linear athlete — can pick up yards with his legs when available ● Easygoing, genuine personality; meshes well with teammates (captain at Appalachian State) ● Rewrote single-season passing records at Appalachian State during 2023 season ● NFL scout: “He was meeting extra with the (Tennessee) coaches to learn the new offense. … He was invested.”

● Underdeveloped passing vision, especially in a more progression-based offense ● More of a see-it thrower, with mixed results as an anticipatory passer ● Inconsistent timing and accuracy on checkdowns and underneath options ● Needs to improve pocket feel; cavalier play style can be a double-edged sword ● Can shuffle but doesn’t have pocket elusiveness ● Fumbled eight times in 2025 (29 fumbles over past three seasons) ● Underwent surgery on right (throwing) shoulder to remove benign tumor (Jan. 2026) ● Older prospect — will be a 25-year-old NFL rookie

A one-year starter at Tennessee (and three-year starter overall), Aguilar was a good fit in head coach Josh Heupel’s up-tempo spread system. Between working his way up through the junior college ranks and the fallout of his UCLA situation, he has faced adversity better than most — and became tougher because of those experiences. He adapted quickly in Knoxville and in 2025 edged out Diego Pavia for the SEC lead in passing yards per game (274.2). Compared to his underclassman tape, Aguilar showed improved decision-making in his final season, but much of that can be attributed to how Heupel’s offense works to simplify things for its quarterback. Regardless, Aguilar was a great fit for the Vols because of his ability to stay calm in his drops and push the ball deep. He is more of a stationary passer than a dual-threat option, and there are some concerns about his feel in the pocket. Overall, Aguilar doesn’t play with consistent passing anticipation, and his hero-ball moments are still there, but he is a good-sized passer with an NFL arm, developed confidence and toughness. He will have a chance to turn some heads once he gets to an NFL camp.