Sep 21, 2024; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel (left) speaks with Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) during the first half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Josh Heupel Has an Interesting Trend With Tennessee Volunteers Quarterbacks

Originally posted on Tennessee Volunteers on SI
By Christian Kirby | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 2:43 PM ET

Tennessee Volunteers coach Josh Heupel has had an interesting trend with his quarterbacks.

Since taking over as the Volunteers' head coach in 2021, Tennessee's Josh Heupel has asserted himself as one of the many offensive masterminds the sport has to offer and has helped the Vols excel to new heights.

One major component of the Vols' recent successes has been consistent play from the quarterback position. But, while Heupel's quarterbacks for the most part have produced at a consistent rate, the consistency of who his starting quarterbacks have been is quite the opposite.

For the third consecutive season, the Vols will have a new signal caller at the helm as UCLA transfer Joey Aguilar is expected to take the reins of Heupel's offense in 2025. Before Aguilar, the team experienced just one full year of starts from Nico Iamaleava in 2024 and Joe Milton in 2023.

While quarterback overturn is not always cause for concern with a head coach (especially in today's chaotic world of college football), the value of experience and continuity between a roster and its quarterback is almost undeniable.

The Vols will be led by their new quarterback during their season opener on Saturday, August 30th, when they face the Syracuse Orange. Kickoff for this game is scheduled for noon and will be aired on ABC.