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Why Joey Aguilar won Tennessee's starting quarterback competition in fall camp

Why Joey Aguilar won Tennessee's starting quarterback competition in fall camp

USA Today2 days ago
No. 18 Tennessee practiced Tuesday for the 13th time in preparation for its 2025 football season slated to kick off Aug. 30. Rankings reflect the US LBM Coaches Poll.
Tennessee named senior transfer Joey Aguilar its starting quarterback on Sunday.
Fifth-year head coach Josh Heupel discussed why the 6-foot-3, 225-pound signal-caller won the Vols' starting quarterback competition.
"That entire room competed at a really high level," Heupel said. "They competed the right way, too. They pushed each other in a positive way in the meeting room, out on the practice field. I think our team has great confidence in all those guys.
"Joey, through the course of training camp, each and every day, continued to grow and take steps, and understand what we're doing, and comfort level, played well in the scrimmages, had good command. That ultimately led to the decision that we made."
More: Tennessee football projected for top 35 offense in 2025
Heupel also discussed why he feels Aguilar gives Tennessee the best chance to win in 2025.
"Got great trust in all those guys, and the strength of one position room, quarterback included, can never just be one guy," he said. "Those guys have all grown, but I think Joey, coming in May, having to learn the offense throughout the late spring, summertime, getting his feet on the grass with our guys, learning how we practice, but also growing each day, just continued to trend upward in his comfort and control, and command, of what we're doing.
"That's decision making, accuracy with the football, our checks that he controls, you put all that together and that's ultimately why we made the decision."
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