Tennessee has suffered a least expected blow this off-season. Nico Iamaleava’s demand to renew his contract forced Josh Heupel to make a tough call. He let him go after Nico held out during spring practice over a dispute regarding the pay raise. Iamaleava, the biggest asset in the Vols’ 10-3 season, left them in a difficult spot with just two quarterbacks on their roster: redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and true freshman George MacIntyre. None of them had a good exposure under the center. They together racked up only nine career passes to date. Here comes a twist again. After Nico arrived at the Bruins’ camp, their veteran quarterback, Joey Aguilar, took a step back and joined Tennessee. But does that add anything to Heupel’s void?
SEC Network journalist Paul Finebaum spoke his heart out during a segment of the Fine or Not Fine podcast. When the world cast a doubt on Heupel’s uncertain future after he dropped a bombshell this offseason, Finebaum called him a hero. He lauded the bold step taken by Heupel in not embracing the infectious trend in college football, the lethal byproduct of NIL. But the QB room? Well, Finebaum said Heupel doesn’t have to worry about the year right at his hand. Even if he didn’t manage to swoop a Nico Iamaleava replacement right away, it will be all right. He has got a loyal fanbase that can wait a year or so to have Tennessee back on its original tempo, especially when it’s for the right cause.
Heupel didn’t even have to do a portal hunt. Just after Finebaum’s resounding message, he earned a commitment from Bruins’ Joey Aguilar. Did that change Finebaum’s stance on the Volunteer State? Did he find the offense a little aided up than before? Well, no. “Not fine,” Finebaum said. “This was the biggest story of the offseason with Nico leaving. Joey Aguilar from App State via UCLA is not the perfect answer. He’s good, but he’s not great. Nico could have been great, although he wasn’t last year. Quite frankly, I don’t like Tennessee’s chances at a playoff at all.”
In two years with Appalachian State, Aguilar threw for 6,760 passing yards, 56 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions. He added 456 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. But the ultimate goal in Tennessee will be to win games against the fierce SEC opponents. His past films and records didn’t give us high hopes. Although getting a gun in your priority room is always a win, but not necessarily in the scoreboard.
On top, the Volunteers have lost more offensive weapons, including star running back Dylan Sampson and four out of five starting offensive linemen. Finebaum’s doubt on Tennessee’s playoff chances isn’t absurd at all. Nico moved on for a new start with a lesser talented offensive line. If he puts on a formidable effort, his 2025 season can hold some value, otherwise, it will be another wasted game under a non-capable safety net.
Moving ahead, you might deem Finebaum a double-edged sword, but in reality, he has always been dubious about Tennessee ever since the NIL drama shook up their peace.
Paul Finebaum raises red flag on Tennessee’s 2025 future
It’s true that Finebaum wholeheartedly supported Josh Heupel’s call against Nico Iamaleava and all those who were planning silently to pull in some similar moves to any other school. He has also given the Vols’ head coach a pass for about one season. But eventually, Finebaum knew that college football is all about winning and losing.
So, if you can’t win games for too long, fans will not spare you, irrespective of your record. The former QB1 pass wasn’t perfect. He struggled heavily in the first round playoffs, completing only 45.2 % of his passes for 104 yards and no touchdown, leading his team to a 42-17 season-ending loss against the Buckeyes. But in 2025, he had quite a higher ceiling, with many sports books predicting him to be the best starting QB of the year. The UCLA transfer is a demotion to Nico, but it’s more so to his former school.
“I think you have to be worried about Tennessee,” Finebaum said on April 28, per On3. “I know that I’m probably not breaking a new story here, but what is the quarterback situation really going to be like? Listen, Aguilar is serviceable. They have two backups who have no experience, but I think that’s a tremendous drop-off.” It will be interesting to see how Josh Heupel will fight the odds and walk out with a smile, if ever, down the road.
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