The Tennessee Volunteers are off to a 2-0 start this season and look like one of the top teams in the country. A lot of that success has come from transfer quarterback Joey Aguilar, whom the Vols added in the spring after Nico Iamaleva surprisingly left the program.
Aguilar has played well so far, and his performance hasn’t gone unnoticed. Legendary Alabama head coach Nick Saban recently explained that Aguilar is a better fit in Tennessee’s offense than Iamaleva, while also offering a cautionary note to Vols head coach Josh Heupel.
Nick Saban Says Joey Aguilar Suits Offense Better Than Nico Iamaleava, Warns Josh Heupel
This offseason was a crazy one for Tennessee. After making the College Football Playoff in 2024, the team expected to head into 2025 with Iamaleava at quarterback, their starter from last year. However, Iamaleava shockingly entered the transfer portal, forcing the Vols to land Aguilar as his replacement.
There was some skepticism about Aguilar, as he only had experience playing in the Sun Belt, serving as Appalachian State’s quarterback in 2023 and 2024. However, he’s burst onto the scene in the SEC this season, throwing for 535 yards, five touchdowns, and zero interceptions in his first two games with the Vols.
Iamaleava was a solid player for Tennessee during his year as the team’s starter in 2024, but based on Aguilar’s early performance, the App State transfer may be the better option. Saban seems to agree, explaining on the “Pat McAfee Show” that Aguilar is a better fit for Heupel’s offense.
“I think Josh Heupel does a great job with the offense and Joey Aguilar does a great job of executing the offense..
If they can run the ball against you it’s gonna be a real tough day” ~ Coach Saban #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/68QBTKn2Yn
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 12, 2025
“I think Josh Heupel does a great job with the offensive team, and I think Joey Aguilar does a great job of executing the offense,” Saban said. “He actually executes the offense, to me, a little better than even Nico did.”
While Saban is clearly a fan of what Aguilar brings to the table as Tennessee’s signal-caller, the legendary coach had a different message for the Vols’ defense in 2025. Saban cautioned Tennessee and Heupel that no matter how strong the offense is, they need to bring their A-game on defense, as the days of simply outscoring opponents are over in college football.
“Well, I think you got have good defense, because you can’t just outscore everybody in college football now,” Saban said.
Tennessee allowed 377 yards of offense to Syracuse in their season opener, well above their 2024 mark of 293.2 yards per game, which ranked sixth in the country. If the Vols want to have a successful year, the defense must play much better as the season continues.
The No. 15 Vols face their first real test this weekend against No. 6 Georgia on Saturday, September 13, 2025. If Saban is right about Aguilar’s ability to execute in Heupel’s offense, this matchup should be close, but the Vols’ defense must step up if they hope to pull off the upset. The game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET with coverage on ABC.
