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ESPN Quarterback Tiers: Tennessee in 'welcome to the big leagues' category with Joey Aguilar

IMG_3593by:Grant Ramey•05/20/25•

GrantRamey

joey aguilar
Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

Tennessee has a ‘Tier 9’ quarterback situation entering the 2025 season, according to ESPN. David Hale put all 136 college football quarterback rooms into tiers, with Joey Aguilar, Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre putting the Vols in the ‘Welcome to the Big Leagues’ category in the ninth of 26 tiers.

The other teams in Tier 9 are Colorado (Kaidon Salter and Julian Lewis), Iowa (Mark Gronowski and Hank Brown), North Carolina (Gio Lopez, Bryce Baker and Max Johnson) and Utah (Devon Dampier, Brendan Zurbrugg, Isaac Wilson and Nate Johnson). 

“All of the Tier 9 quarterbacks are moving up from a lower level,” Hale wrote, “and will be expected to produce immediately at places with high hopes for a playoff run in 2025.”

Comparing Joey Aguilar’s QB numbers to Tennessee’s over the last two seasons

Hale also pointed out that Aguilar’s numbers over the last two seasons at Appalachian State are slightly better than Tennessee’s over the same span, with Nico Iamaleava at quarterback last season and Joe Milton III in 2023.

Per ESPN’s numbers, Aguilar had a 70.1 QBR with 61 touchdowns, 31 turnovers, 8.0 yards per attempt, 60.1 completions and 289 yards per game. Tennessee’s quarterbacks, meanwhile, had a 69.7 QBR, 54 touchdowns, 16 turnovers, 7.7 yards per attempt, 63.5 completions and 249 yards per game.

“QB A definitely needs to cut down on the turnovers, but aside from that, they’re pretty close, right?” Hale wrote. “Well, QB A is Aguilar’s numbers over the past two years. QB B is Tennessee’s quarterback production over that same span.” 

ESPN’s Tier 1 (“Top of the class”) is Clemson (Cade Klubnik), LSU (Garrett Nussmeier), Oklahoma (John Mateer), Penn State (Drew Allar) and South Carolina (LaNorris Sellers). Tier 1B (“So hot right now”) was Florida (DJ Lagway), Miami (Carson Beck) and Texas (Arch Manning).

‘Second time’s the charm’: ESPN has Nico Iamaleava in Tier 6

Iamaleava, who transferred to UCLA in April, leading Aguilar to transfer from UCLA to Tennessee, was listed in Tier 6, the ‘Second time’s the charm’ group, alongside Kansas State (Avery Johnson), Nebraska (Dylan Raiola), NC State (CJ Bailey) and Texas A&M (Marcel Reed). 

ESPN noted that Iamaleava completed 71% of his passes 10 touchdowns, no interceptions and had 10.9 yards per attempt against Chattanooga, UTEP, Ken State and Mississippi State, group that went 4-31 against FBS competition last season. Against all others, Iamaleava completed 61% of his passes with nine touchdown passes and five interceptions on 6.9 yards per pass.

“Tier 6 quarterbacks all got a healthy dose of life as QB1 last season,” Hale wrote, “with some mixed results. But if those growing pains as a first-time starter in 2024 translate into more refined play in 2025, each QB could easily blossom into one of the country’s best.”

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