ESPN says Joey Aguilar is 'far better' than Nico Iamaleava at a key skill and it will be crucial for the Tennessee Vols' offense

ESPN thinks new Tennessee Vols quarterback Joey Aguilar is "far better" at a specific skill than former UT quarterback Nico Iamaleava. 

And it's a skill that's historically been important in Josh Heupel's offense. 

Aguilar, who transferred from UCLA to Tennessee in the wake of Iamaleava leaving the Vols for the Bruins, is battling redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and true freshman George MacIntyre for the starting job in Knoxville this fall. 

ESPN's Bill Connelly noted this week in his 2025 SEC preview that Aguilar is a better scrambler than Iamaleava. 

"Iamaleava was the far more highly touted recruit, but Aguilar, who transferred from Appalachian State to UCLA last winter, is a far better scrambler and takes far fewer sacks," wrote Connelly. 

(Iamaleava took 28 sacks last season at Tennessee. Aguilar took 15 sacks at Appalachian State last season.) 

There's no doubt that Iamaleava is an elite runner. He's bigger and faster than Aguilar, and he proved last season that he's tough enough to take hits from SEC defenders without slowing down.

But there were times last season when Iamaleava looked unsure of where to go in the pocket when protection broke down, which usually led to a sack. 

Aguilar isn't a guy who's going to generate a bunch of explosive plays with his legs, but he's a player who has good "feel" in the pocket, which can be important when it comes to keeping drives alive. 

One of the reasons that Tennessee's offense was so potent in 2022 was because quarterback Hendon Hooker was able to keep drives alive by scrambling for first downs when plays broke down. 

Tennessee fans are well aware of how dangerous a quarterback who isn't lightning quick but has elite field awareness can be. Based on Connelly's note, it sounds like that's an important element that Aguilar will bring to the Volunteers' offense in 2025. 

Of course, that's assuming Aguilar wins the job -- which isn't a certainty.