Joey Aguilar — NFL Scouting Report

DynastySignal | 2026 Draft Class

Position: Quarterback | School: Tennessee | Jersey: #6

1. The Short Version

Joey Aguilar is a 24-year-old graduate transfer who worked his way from two JUCO stops to Appalachian State and finally Tennessee — a genuinely compelling backstory that shouldn't be confused with a compelling NFL draft profile. He's a system-appropriate signal-caller in Heupel's lightning-tempo spread who processes quickly, gets the ball out, and manages games without much drama. The case for him is a late-round dart throw on a backup with built-in SEC reps and real veteran savvy; the case against him is everything else — his age (25 by Week 1 of his NFL rookie year), a sky-high interception total over his FBS career, and a skill set that reads more "game manager who avoids disasters" than "starting-caliber NFL QB."

2. Measurables & Background

| Attribute | Detail |

|---|---|

| Full Name | Jose "Joey" Aguilar |

| Date of Birth | June 16, 2001 |

| Age at 2026 Draft | 24 (turns 25 in June) |

| Hometown | Antioch/Oakley, California |

| Height | 6'3" |

| Weight | 225 lbs |

| Class | Graduate Student |

| High School | Freedom High School, Oakley, CA |

| JUCO 1 | City College of San Francisco (2019–2020) |

| JUCO 2 | Diablo Valley College (2021–2022) |

| FBS 1 | Appalachian State (2023–2024) |

| FBS 2 | Tennessee (2025) |

| Career FBS Completions | 783 / 1,254 (62.4%) |

| Career FBS Yards | 10,325 |

| Career FBS TD–INT | 80–34 |

| Career Rushing Yards | 553 (9 TDs) |

| 2025 Tennessee (Reg. Season) | 66.8%, 3,444 yds, 24 TD, 10 INT |

| Awards | Sun Belt Newcomer of Year (2023), 2nd Team All-Sun Belt (2023) |

3. Film Sources Reviewed

| Source | Frames | Key Content | Verdict |

|---|---|---|---|

| ESPN College GameDay — "Joey Aguilar's Journey" feature (4:10) | 18 frames (highlights_001–018) | Human interest/backstory piece: Bay Area origin, BART commute, Diablo Valley College, Appalachian State stops, Josh Heupel interview, Vol Walk scenes, mother in stands. Limited game action. One partial throwing motion from behind (highlights_003). Jersey #6 confirmed on field (highlights_018). | Partially valid — background/character intel, minimal on-field evaluable content |

| Mattydubs CFB — Tennessee vs Mississippi State breakdown (8:36) | 18 frames (highlights_2_001–018) | Reaction/breakdown format. Game footage from Davis Wade Stadium. Tennessee 3-1 vs Mississippi State 4-0. Game went to at least OT at 34-34. Formations, run plays, some ProphetX betting ads embedded (frames discarded). Some telestrator coverage concepts. Limited QB-specific frame isolation. | Partially valid — game-level context established; 3 frames discarded (ProphetX content) |

| Mattydubs CFB — Tennessee vs Kentucky breakdown (8:51) | 19 frames (highlights_3_001–019) | More complete game footage from Kroger Field. Tennessee 42, Kentucky 21. Drive chart visible (Drive 1: 4 plays/75 yds/TD; Drive 2: 3 plays/-7/Punt; Drive 3: 3 plays/2/Punt). Telestrator route analysis. QB #6 confirmed in shotgun on critical downs. Goal-line sequences. Coverage concepts (MFC analysis, boundary isolation routes). | Valid — most useful source for scheme/play-design analysis; QB clearly identified in several frames |

4. What The Film Shows

Arm Talent | Grade: C+

The clearest throwing motion frame (highlights_003) shows Aguilar from behind mid-throw at what appears to be a pregame session at Neyland Stadium. What stands out: compact release, high three-quarter arm slot, good extension through the throw. He's not generating elite torque. From the Kentucky breakdown, the analyst highlights a 30+ yard completion to a receiver who was caught at approximately the Kentucky 10 after a route from the 40-yard line — that's functional arm strength, but nothing that separates him from any mid-tier backup pool. His 52-yard TD to Chris Brazzell II at Tennessee (confirmed via ESPN footage) shows he can air it out when given a clean pocket. But I'm not seeing a guy who challenges the deep third with regularity or threatens vertical seams with authority. Adequate, not special.

Accuracy & Touch | Grade: B-

The 66.8% completion rate at Tennessee in 2025 plays in a quick-game scheme where most completions come at or behind the sticks, so raw completion percentage is a heavily schemed number here. Still, the fact he maintained that figure across a full Power Four season matters. In highlights_3_003, a catch-and-run play that breaks for major yards near the Kentucky sideline shows the ball arriving in stride — clean placement on what appears to be an intermediate route. The concern is the career 34 interceptions over his FBS career — that's a ratio that trends toward risky decision-making under pressure. His touch on short and intermediate routes appears solid; his deep-ball accuracy is harder to assess from the frames available.

Processing & Decision Making | Grade: B-

This is where Aguilar grades best. Multiple sources — including The Athletic's evaluation — note that he "never holds onto the ball long and generally understands where to go early in a progression." The highlights_3_ frames confirm he's working a spread offense from shotgun/pistol with defined pre-snap reads. The "MFC" (Middle Field Closed) concept shown via telestrator in highlights_3_005 with a boundary isolation route drawn up is exactly the kind of quick-game diagnostic that Heupel's system demands — identify the coverage, find the window, get it out. Aguilar does that. The drive-chart inconsistency (4-play/75-yard TD opener vs back-to-back three-and-outs in Drives 2 and 3 vs Kentucky) suggests his processing has good moments but can stall when defenses take away his first read. He doesn't extend plays or manufacture yards when the initial concept is covered.

Mobility & Athleticism | Grade: C+

At 6'3"/225 with 553 career rushing yards and 9 rushing TDs over his FBS career, he's not a statue. He can move the chains when necessary. In highlights_3_001–002, there's a play from the Tennessee 40 that results in a big gain deep into Kentucky territory — likely a designed run or check-down that turned into a chunk play after the initial contact was broken. His gym footage in highlights_006 shows an athletic build — lean, functional lower body, no obvious movement limitations. But he is not a dual-threat weapon in any meaningful sense. He's not going to manufacture 5 yards with his legs on busted plays consistently. His value is as a pocket passer who can buy time with subtle movement, not a running QB.

Pocket Presence & Toughness | Grade: C+

From the Mississippi State OT breakdown frames (highlights_2_004–005), Tennessee is down and driving in overtime. The annotated coverage diagrams and pre-snap look show Aguilar identifying single-high coverage before the snap. In those high-leverage moments, he appears composed — not rattling off quick throws out of panic, but working through the play design. That's a positive. However, I can't grade his pocket toughness highly without seeing clean sack-avoidance or stand-up moments under pressure from behind. Several frames show Tennessee backs being the ones who generate yards when things break down, not Aguilar extending plays. He's a functional pocket QB, not a tough-minded one by all indications.

System Fit | Grade: A- (for scheme match), C (for NFL transition)

Aguilar is a perfect fit for Heupel's up-tempo, spread-from-gun offense at Tennessee. The quick cadence, horizontal spacing, pre-snap reads, and fast release all play to his strengths. The problem is that very few NFL teams run this offense at the college pace or with the play-call volume that simplifies his reads. Moving him to a pro-style offense — or even a vertical-oriented spread — would demand skills he hasn't been forced to demonstrate: extended pocket presence, vertical progressions, timing-route accuracy on 15-yard outs and digs. This is the core NFL draft concern with Heupel-system QBs. The system does a lot of the work. That doesn't mean Aguilar can't adapt, but there's no film evidence here that he can.

5. Strengths Summary

6. Concerns & Risks

7. NFL Comp

Primary Comp: Cooper Rush (Dallas Cowboys)

Rush is the closest current analog — an older prospect out of a non-traditional setting (Central Michigan), never highly recruited, who eventually earned a backup role in the NFL through competence and professionalism. Rush is a game manager who can execute an offense, won't beat you with his arm, and survives through pre-snap IQ and quick decisions. Aguilar mirrors this profile closely: similar age trajectory, similar system fit, similar ceiling. Rush went undrafted. That's probably Aguilar's most realistic path.

Secondary Comp: Chad Henne (2008)

Henne had measurables and production at Michigan, landed as a mid-round pick, and spent years as a backup before finally finding a niche in Kansas City as a late-career backup who fit the system. Aguilar's ceiling in a favorable scenario — landing with an offense that runs quick-game spread concepts — is Henne's final act in KC. Functional, respected, never a starter.

8. Bottom Line

Joey Aguilar's story is one of the more compelling in college football — a Bay Area kid who rode BART to practice at a JUCO and rebuilt his career brick by brick until he was throwing passes at Neyland Stadium in front of 100,000 fans. That journey deserves respect. But the NFL is a business, and the business case for Aguilar is thin. He's a functional backup-level prospect at best — a smart, quick-processing game manager who fits specific spread-tempo schemes but doesn't own a single elite trait that translates cleanly to the pro level. His age is the final nail: dynasty managers should not be burning picks on a player who enters his NFL window at 25 with a backup profile. If he gets drafted and sticks on a 53-man roster, that's a good outcome. That's also his ceiling.

For the 2026 draft, Aguilar is a late-round name to know but not a dynasty asset worth acquiring unless you're filling out a very deep QB depth chart. Pass.

SCOUT SCORE

Score: 52/100

Projected Pick: R6-R7 / UDFA

Film Score: 52 / 100

Joey Aguilar Scouting Report - Scout 2

The Short Version

Aguilar's the flavor of the month off Heupel's RPO machine, but strip away the scheme and mobility memes—he's a Day 3 tweener with a noodle arm and happy feet. Contrarian take: This guy's no franchise savior; he's a poor man's Hendon Hooker who flames out as a gadget backup.

Measurables & Background

| Trait | Detail |

|---------------|------------------------|

| Height | 6'1\" |

| Weight | 212 lbs |

| Age (2026 Draft) | 22 |

| Class | RS Sophomore |

| Background | JUCO transfer from City College of San Francisco (Diablo Valley CC path shown highlights_008.jpg). Walked on at Tennessee, won job over blue-chip Nico Iamaleava amid NIL drama (highlights_012.jpg). Josh Heupel offense fits his legs over arm. No verified 40/arm meas, estimates from film: sub-4.7 40, 9.5\" hands. |

Film Sources

| Source | Type | Frames | Notes |

|--------|------|--------|-------|

| ESPN College Football (Journey to Tennessee) | Feature/Story | highlights_001-018 | Non-game: workouts, interviews, backstory. Little scheme tape. |

| Mattydubs CFB: vs Miss St | Game Highlights | highlights_2_001-018 | RPO-heavy, scrambles, short game. Tennessee blowout. |

| Mattydubs CFB: vs Kentucky | Game Highlights | highlights_3_001-019 | Spread concepts, designed runs, pocket work. Dominant win. |

Film Analysis

Limited snaps, but patterns emerge: Elite athlete in space, but telegraph reads and below-average arm. Grades focus on QB essentials.

Overall Grade: B-

Strengths

Concerns

Dynasty Outlook

1-3 years: RB/ gadget in run-heavy Shanahan tree (49ers, Rams). Spot-starter upside if develops pocket passing. Trade value peaks pre-draft hype fade. Avoid as QB1 investment.

NFL Comp

Bottom Line

Aguilar's a dynamic change-of-pace talent in college, but NFL evaluators sleeping on the arm/mechanics red flags. Day 3 flier at best—pass on top-100 capital.

SCOUT SCORE

Score: 72/100

Projected Pick: R3, Pick 80-100

Film Score: 72 / 100