Joey Aguilar’s time in Knoxville was brief, but he clearly left with something more permanent than memories.
The former Tennessee quarterback recently got a tattoo on his left leg that traces his winding college football path, ending with Neyland Stadium near his ankle along with his No. 6. The design also marks his start in the Bay Area and his stop at App State before landing on Rocky Top.
Aguilar became a quick favorite after arriving through the spring transfer portal to replace the departing Nico Iamaleava. In a short window, he settled into Tennessee’s offense and helped push the Vols back toward the top of the conference.
He finished the season completing 67.3% of his passes for 3,565 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. On the ground, he added 71 carries for 101 yards and four touchdowns.
His biggest moment in orange may have come in Gainesville, where he helped Tennessee beat Florida and end the losing streak in The Swamp.
The tattoo drew attention online, with one post noting, “How much does Joey Aguilar love Tennessee?
The former #Vols QB got Neyland Stadium tattooed on his leg. It shows his journey from JUCO, to App State and then to Rocky Top. pic.twitter.com/GXxcYn04sN
- Sam Rothman (@samrothman_) July 11, 2026”
Aguilar’s football future is now with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he signed as an undrafted free agent after going undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft. That opportunity followed a strong showing at Tennessee’s Pro Day, where he also revealed that a tumor in his shoulder that he played through with the Vols would not be a long-term issue.
After Pro Day, Aguilar made sure to credit the people around him in Knoxville.
“Shout out to Heup (Josh Heupel), Joey (Halzle), Jared (Peery) and Landry (Jones) for the time they poured into me for the short amount of time I was here,” Aguilar said after Pro Day. “And Landry’s helped me a lot through this process.
I met with him one-on-one a lot throughout the season, and especially the time of the unknown of not knowing I was going to come back here or go to the league. NFL vet, spent a lot of time in the league, was kind of giving me tips of what to expect, what to do.
That helped me at the combine as well because I up and just had to leave. So it was a good experience, and I’m thankful for these coaches.”
Tennessee, meanwhile, is moving on to a new quarterback competition. Aguilar tried to go through the courts to get a preliminary injunction against the NCAA so he could play again with the Vols, but he ultimately lost that case. The battle for the job now sits between Faizon Brandon, George MacIntyre and Ryan Staub.
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The timing is notable, too, because Tennessee did not exactly overwhelm opponents in Knoxville last season and now faces a brutal home slate in SEC play. Texas, Alabama, LSU, Auburn and Kentucky are all set to come through Neyland next fall, giving the Vols a chance to prove the stadiums reputation still matches what happens on the field, even if the leagues preseason forecast has them sitting eighth. [Read more 🡒]