If the belief that Tennessee’s addition of Joey Aguilar last week shored up the Vols at quarterback, Josh Heupel says otherwise.

The fifth-year Tennessee head football coach opened up about Aguilar for the first time at the Big Orange Caravan stop in Memphis on Tuesday, and says there will still be a competition for the starting job in fall camp.

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“We’ve got the opportunity to have a great competition at the quarterback position,” Heupel told reporters at Hardin Hall in Memphis. “I like the skillsets of the guys that are in there. I like their mindset.

“You’ve got to learn it, earn it and go take the job. The standard is to have a guy who is ready to play at a championship level.”

Tennessee, fresh off of its first-ever College Football Playoff run, entered spring practices with three scholarship players.

By the time the Vols took the field for their annual Orange and White spring game, they were down to two: redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and freshman George MacIntyre.

Nico Iamaleava, a former five-star prospect that signed with Tennessee in 2023 before taking over starting duties in 2024, bolted from the program on the last day of spring practices. He entered the transfer portal earlier this month and subsequently committed to UCLA.

Iamaleava’s highly publicized departure left Tennessee with two inexperienced options at quarterback.

Merklinger, a four-start recruit in the Vols’ 2024 class, appeared in two games last season against Chattanooga and Kent State.

MacIntyre was a four-star recruit, too and regarded as one of the top quarterbacks in Tennessee when he signed with the Vols in December. He enrolled in January.

Aguilar, who played two seasons at Appalachian State where he left as the record-holder for single season passing yards and touchdowns, transferred to UCLA and was reportedly having a strong spring before reports indicated that the Bruins were going to sign Iamaleava.

Aguilar then transferred to Tennessee, making his commitment official on Tuesday.

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Joey Aguilar makes commitment to Tennessee football official

“(Aguilar) has starts. He’s played at a high level. He’s the got the ability to throw the ball vertically,” Heupel said. “He’s accurate and on time in the intermediate passing game. He has the ability to use his feet to extend plays and in the quarterback run game too.

“It’s similar to the traits that we have with guys on campus right now.”

Aguilar was named the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year in his first season with the Mountaineers after throwing for 3,757 yards and 33 touchdowns—both program single-season bests—in 2023.

Last season, Aguilar passed for 3,003 yards and 23 scores, but had 14 interceptions.

Aguilar is undeniably the most experienced quarterback on the Vols’ roster, but how the starting job shakes out between him, Merklinger and MacIntyre will be the most intriguing headline when fall camp begins for Tennessee later this summer.

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