From Car Washes to Championship Dreams: The Joey Aguilar Story
How a first-generation Latino quarterback is rewriting the underdog playbook at Tennessee
There’s something poetic about Joey Aguilar’s journey to becoming Tennessee’s starting quarterback. In a sport often dominated by five-star recruits from elite prep schools, Aguilar’s path reads like a screenplay that Hollywood would reject for being too unbelievable. Yet here we are, watching a kid who once considered abandoning football for firefighting now leading one of college football’s most storied programs.
The Foundation: Family, Heritage, and Hard Work
Joey Aguilar was born to Jose and Lydia Aguilar—teenage parents who embodied the American Dream through sheer determination. Jose, a first-generation Mexican-American, built a car detailing business from scratch. Lydia, of Puerto Rican descent, worked demanding shifts as an ER secretary. Their son would grow up understanding that nothing comes easy, a lesson that would prove invaluable in his football journey.
“It’s pretty much plain and simple,” Aguilar reflected. “Even though my dad was my coach, I wasn’t a starter. He would throw me in there, and I would still have to work to be that guy.” This wasn’t nepotism—this was preparation for a world that wouldn’t hand him anything.
At 14, while most kids were focused on video games and social media, Joey was working in his father’s car detailing business, learning the value of hard work firsthand. These weren’t just chores; they were character-building exercises that would serve him well when facing the skeptics and doubters that would populate his football journey.
The Heritage He Carries
What makes Aguilar’s story particularly compelling is how he embraces his Latino heritage in a sport where representation matters. “It’s awesome. Hispanic quarterbacks—there aren’t many out there,” Aguilar has said. “To go out there and represent is amazing. Especially for the younger kids, seeing a Hispanic quarterback and they’re Hispanic as well. Growing up, they can be like, ‘Dang, that’s awesome. I want to be like that one day.'”
He proudly wears both the Mexican and Puerto Rican flags during games, a visual reminder of the dual heritage that shaped him. In an era where athletes are increasingly conscious of their platform, Aguilar understands he’s not just playing for Tennessee—he’s playing for every Latino kid who’s been told they don’t fit the mold of a “typical” quarterback.
The Road Less Traveled
Despite throwing for 5,575 yards and 59 touchdowns at Freedom High School in Oakley, California, Aguilar received zero Division I offers. The recruiting industrial complex looked at his frame and decided he was “too small” or “too skinny”—criticisms that have followed undersized quarterbacks for generations.
So Aguilar took the junior college route, a path that requires not just talent but mental fortitude. At City College of San Francisco, he redshirted in 2019, saw his 2020 season canceled due to COVID-19, and even considered ending his football career to pursue firefighting.
Think about that for a moment. The quarterback who would eventually break Tennessee records was so close to walking away from football that he enrolled in firefighting courses. It wasn’t until he transferred to Diablo Valley College that his football dreams reignited.
The Breakthrough
At Diablo Valley, Aguilar completed 228 of 379 passing attempts for 2,992 yards and 21 touchdowns—numbers that finally caught the attention of Division I programs. Appalachian State took a chance on him, and Aguilar didn’t waste the opportunity.
After starting quarterback Ryan Burger was injured in week one, Aguilar stepped in and completed 11 of 13 passes for 174 yards and four touchdowns against Gardner-Webb. It was the moment that changed everything. In 2023, he set school records with 3,757 passing yards and 33 touchdowns, earning Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year honors.
But success at the Group of Five level is one thing; proving yourself in the SEC is entirely different.
The Tennessee Chapter
The quarterback carousel of the 2025 transfer portal brought Aguilar to Knoxville in the most roundabout way possible. After transferring to UCLA, he found himself displaced when Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava also joined the Bruins. In what amounted to a quarterback trade, Aguilar headed to Tennessee while Iamaleava went west.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel praised Aguilar for being “extremely comfortable” commanding the Vols offense in such a short amount of time. That comfort has translated to immediate success on the field.
Making His Mark
Aguilar’s Tennessee debut was nothing short of spectacular. Against Syracuse in the Aflac Kickoff Classic, he completed 16 of 28 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns, including a perfectly thrown 73-yard bomb to Braylon Staley. The performance earned him the Manning Award for the top quarterback performance of the week.
But it was his second game that truly announced his arrival. Against East Tennessee State, Aguilar threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns—all in the first half—as Tennessee set a program scoring record with a 72-17 victory. Through two games, his 92.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus ranks as the second-best among quarterbacks with 10 or more attempts.
The Ultimate Test Awaits
On September 13th, #4 Georgia comes to Neyland Stadium—a game that will truly measure where Aguilar and Tennessee stand in the SEC hierarchy. It’s the kind of stage that Aguilar has been building toward his entire career, even if he didn’t know it at the time.
ETSU coach Will Healy perfectly captured what makes Aguilar special, calling him “what this place was craving”—a quarterback “that they could relate to and they respected and that was going to work really hard for them.”
Beyond Football
What makes Aguilar’s story resonate goes beyond touchdown passes and completion percentages. He will be the first in his immediate family to graduate from college, carrying the hopes and dreams of not just his parents but an entire community that sees themselves in his journey.
His mother Lydia perhaps said it best: “Nothing is going to be given to you; you have to sacrifice to get where you want to be.” It’s a philosophy that guided Joey from those early days washing cars to now standing on the precipice of SEC stardom.
The Bigger Picture
In an era of college football increasingly dominated by NIL deals and transfer portal chaos, Aguilar’s story serves as a reminder of what the sport can be at its best. His journey from overlooked recruit to SEC starter isn’t just about individual triumph—it’s about representation, perseverance, and the power of believing in yourself when no one else will.
Aguilar often helps his father coach youth football, and kids are “filled with awe when he stops by for the drills.” These moments matter. They represent hope for the next generation of Latino athletes who might otherwise think certain dreams are beyond their reach.
Looking Forward
As Tennessee prepares for what could be a playoff-contending season, they’ve found something invaluable in Joey Aguilar—not just a quarterback, but a leader who understands what it means to fight for everything you get. His story isn’t finished; if anything, the Georgia game represents the next chapter in what promises to be a remarkable conclusion to his college career.
