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Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How Joey Aguilar won over Tennessee football teammates with dinners, pool parties
ATLANTA – Quarterback Joey Aguilar won over his new Tennessee football teammates by taking them out to dinner, playing video games and joining enormous swimming pool parties at an undisclosed location. "Joey is one of those guys that when you meet, you immediately hit it off. Same sense of humor, similar personalities," UT tight end Miles Kitselman said at SEC football media days on July 15. "It's kind of like you've known each other for a while. And it's something that doesn't really happen a whole lot." Aguilar is a former Appalachian State standout who transferred to UT from UCLA, following Nico Iamaleava's departure from the Vols in the spring over an NIL dispute. Aguilar is in a three-player race for UT's starting quarterback position with redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and freshman George MacIntyre. When Aguilar arrived on UT's campus in May, he immediately started building relationships with his new teammates. First, Aguilar took the offensive linemen out for dinner. Then he sought out teammates to play Fortnite with in a nightly video game gathering. And then that camaraderie developed into swimming pool parties that swelled to about 50 players. It made quite an impression. "The first week he was here with all our guys, he took the offensive linemen out to dinner," Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said. "Those are little steps in developing relationships where you can eventually lead them. "When you're coming in, how you present yourself every single day inside and outside the building is going to be how players perceive you. He has an ability to connect with our guys as a veteran guy. He has developed relationships and earned the trust of those guys." NICO IAMALEAVA Why Tennessee players say they won't hate watch UCLA games What Josh Heupel said about Tennessee QB competition Granted, Aguilar has impressed teammates with his work ethic and easy-going nature. But a quarterback winning the summer is like a coach winning a press conference. Eventually, they're judged by what happens on the field during the season. Heupel said it's an open competition at quarterback. Aguilar must beat out Merklinger and MacIntyre to start in the Vols' season opener against Syracuse in Atlanta on Aug. 30 (noon ET, ABC). "All three of those guys know that they'll get their opportunity," Heupel said. "It's important for everybody on your roster to understand that the best player is going to play. You have to go earn it." Aguilar has playing experience. He started 24 games at Appalachian State and earned the 2023 Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year award. He transferred to UCLA in January. But when Iamaleava transferred to UCLA in April, Aguilar jumped back into the portal and landed with the Vols. Merklinger, a former four-star recruit, has knowledge of UT's system but little playing experience. He spent the past year practicing in Heupel's offense, but completed 6 of 9 passes for 48 yards as a No. 3 quarterback last season. MacIntyre has upside. The four-star recruit was one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2025 class. Tennessee football fans will meet Joey Aguilar soon Aguilar is still a relative stranger to UT fans. He's made a few Instagram posts about his faith, his girlfriend, his graduation from Appalachian State and his arrival at UT. But Aguilar hasn't done an interview this summer. Instead, he has kept a low profile, bonded with teammates, watched game film and worked to learn UT's offense. "Part of being the trigger guy is having the respect of the guys around you," Heupel said about Aguilar prioritizing those relationships. But Aguilar will soon step into the spotlight, beginning with his first media appearance at UT's on-campus media day on July 29. Merklinger and MacIntyre are also scheduled to speak, and preseason practice kicks off on July 30. Until then, Aguilar may squeeze in a few more game film sessions, on-field workouts with wide receivers, dinners with offensive linemen and those team-building pool parties. UT players say Aguilar never turns down an invitation from teammates. "He's down to do something every time," Kitselman said. "To put it in a simple way, when we're like, 'Hey, man, we're going to the pool,' (Aguilar) is always like, 'All right, I'll be there in five (minutes)." Considering those pool parties attract most of UT's roster, they may generate as much team chemistry as any offseason event. As for their location, the Vols aren't willing to give that up. When asked, Kitselman replied "football players only." Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football: How Joey Aguilar won over new Vols teammates
USA Today
20-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Longhorns signee Kaleb Freeman joins the WhIte Sox
The Texas Longhorns have lost another signee to an MLB team. Infielder Kaleb Freeman who joined the Longhorns out of the transfer portal a few weeks ago has signed his first MLB contract, according to FutureSox. The former Georgia State star was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 16th round of the MLB Draft. Following a stelar 2025 campaign, Freeman saw his stock rise heading into the draft. In 51 games, the Flowery Branch native posted a .358 batting average and drove in 45 runs. His power was also on full display as 42 of Freeman's 68 hits went for extra-bases. That is partly why he became a target for the Longhorns. Now that Freeman is part of the White Sox, he is moving on to the next chapter of his baseball journey. He finishes his college career with a .323 batting average and 74 RBI. He is not the only Longhorns signee who will start his professional career without making it to the Forty Acres. In the draft, 12 players with ties to the Longhorns heard their names called. That includes Xavier Mitchell, who signed with the Los Angeles Angels earlier this week. That list should continue to grow now that the draft is more than a week in the rearview mirror. Although Freeman had to wait a bit to hear his name called, they are adding a player who can make hard contact. During the 2025 campaign, everything came together as he was one of Georgia State's best players. Due to his play, the Flowery Branch High School product earned 2025 Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year honors. As Freeman turns his focus to his professional career, he will aim to build on his 2025 campaign. He was one of the best hitters in the nation and showed just how good he can be when he is locked in at the plate.
USA Today
26-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
EXCLUSIVE: Longhorns baseball transfer Kaleb Freeman reflects on his journey to Texas
Since the 2025 campaign came to an end, Longhorns baseball has wasted no time improving their roster. That has led to multiple additions in the transfer portal, including Kaleb Freeman. The former Georgia State is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. In 51 games for Georgia State, Freeman posted a .358 batting average while driving in 45 runs. He also showed some power, as 42 of his 68 hits went for extra bases. Due to his performance at the plate, the Georgia native was a popular prospect in the portal. While Freeman had plenty of options, his conversations with the Longhorns coaching staff, including former MLB star Troy Tulowitzki, sealed the deal. "We had so many similar traits," Freeman said. "When we were sitting in his office, he was like, dude, I love the way you play; I love your fire and your passion. I know that you had to scratch and claw for everything you got, and I had to do the same thing. We were able to relate on a bunch of different things that you can't put a price tag on. He showed, along with Coach Schlossnagle and Coach Caine, how much they valued me. That is huge for me because I've been to places I wasn't valued." When Freeman makes his Longhorns debut, it will make the fourth program he has played for. His college career has included stops at Auburn, North Georgia, and Georgia State. Each stop has presented its own set of challenges that have made Freeman a better player. "I would say each spot has held its challenges and things I've had to learn," Freeman said." The University of North Georgia was basically like, 'It's time to grow up a little bit.' Auburn was kind of different. I feel like it showed me how to be a better person outside of baseball. It showed me that there is more to life than just baseball. At Georgia State, all the pieces fit together, and all those guys took me under their wing. The only word I have for it is that it was awesome." Although Freeman's stint at Georgia State was short, he made the most of his time. He was named the 2025 Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year. The honors didn't stop there, as Freeman earned a spot on the 2025 All-Sun Belt 2nd team. For Freeman, the focus is now building on his stellar 2025 campaign. Freeman's success was due to the freedom he had to be himself under Georgia State's coaching staff. "I would say the freedom of letting me be the guy who was called to be on the field," said Freeman. " I am a very fiery and passionate guy. Whenever I get the freedom to go out and be that guy, that's when the stats will go up. There were some points in the season last year when I struggled mentally because I was pressing mentally. It took off so much pressure not having to worry about the draft and just focus on this game I love and have gotten to play my entire life." With Freeman on the roster, Texas is in a good position to end its national title drought.
USA Today
02-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar ranked as No. 50 college football player in 2025
Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar ranked as No. 50 college football player in 2025 Tennessee will kick off its 2025 football season Aug. 30 against Syracuse. The season opener is slated for noon EDT at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. ABC will televise the 2025 Aflac Kickoff Game. Ahead of the upcoming campaign, College Wire's lead writers were polled to determine the top 50 players in college football ahead of the season. Tennessee transfer quarterback Joey Aguilar ranks as the No. 50 player for the 2025 college football season. He transferred to UCLA after the 2024 season from Appalachian State. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound quarterback played at Appalachian State from 2023-24 after transferring from Diablo Valley Community College. More: 2025 Tennessee football post-spring game-by-game predictions Aguilar appeared in 25 games, including 24 starts, at Appalachian State. He completed 511-of-850 passing attempts for 6,760 yards, 56 touchdowns and 24 interceptions, while totaling 456 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 140 attempts. Aguilar recorded at least 200 passing yards in all 24 starts with the Mountaineers. He had four passing touchdowns in four different contests, and 22 touchdown passes were either to tie a game or give his team a lead. Aguilar earned 2023 Cure Bowl MVP and Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year honors. At Diablo Valley Community College from 2021-22, he totaled 2,992 passing yards and 21 touchdowns. PHOTOS: Tennessee starting quarterbacks through the years Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UCLA QB Joey Aguilar to transfer to Tennessee football to replace Nico Iamaleava
UCLA quarterback Joey Aguilar is expected to transfer to Tennessee football, per multiple reports, swapping places with Nico Iamaleava in the latest strange chapter of this offseason saga. Aguilar is a veteran quarterback who broke records at Appalachian State and transferred to UCLA in December. He was in line to be the Bruins' starting quarterback until Iamaleava came on the scene. Advertisement Iamaleava transferred to UCLA. He entered the portal after leaving Tennessee over a dispute about NIL pay, although his representatives claim it was because of problems with the Vols offense. Aguilar passed for 6,760 yards and 56 touchdowns in two seasons at Appalachian State. Before that, he passed for almost 3,000 yards and 21 TDs in two seasons at Diablo Valley Community College in Pleasant Hill, California. He has one season of eligibility remaining because the NCAA granted a blanket waiver to junior college transfers for one additional year. Aguilar can compete with UT redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger for the starting job in the 2025 season. They will replace Iamaleava, who helped UT to the College Football Playoff last season but left the program after NIL negotiations broke down. Advertisement The transfer portal is open April 16-25. Joey Aguilar stats at Appalachian State before UCLA Aguilar is experienced with 41 games played in college, including 24 starts at Appalachian State. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder is from Antioch, California. He did not receive a Division I scholarship offer out of high school. But he had a successful stint in junior college, which drew multiple FBS offers. He was in line to sign with Coastal Carolina, but a coaching change re-directed his recruitment to Appalachian State. In 2023, Aguilar was the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year and the Cure Bowl MVP after breaking multiple school records. He passed for 3,757 yards, 33 TDs and 10 interceptions. And he rushed for 249 yards and three TDs. Advertisement In 2024, Aguilar passed for 3,003 yards, 23 TDs and 14 interceptions. And he rushed for 207 yards and two TDs. That landed him a transfer to UCLA, but his time there was short. Who Tennessee football has at quarterback UT has two other scholarship quarterbacks, Merklinger and freshman George MacIntyre. Merklinger, a former four-star recruit, passed for 48 yards in two games as a freshman in 2024. He was the No. 11 quarterback in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports Composite rankings. MacIntyre, a four-star recruit, signed with UT in the 2025 class and enrolled in January. The former Brentwood Academy standout was ranked the No. 13 quarterback in the 2025 class. Advertisement Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: UCLA QB Joey Aguilar to transfer to Tennessee to replace Nico Iamaleava | Reports
