'Gunslinger': New Vols QB Joey Aguilar plays fearless brand of football
The veteran signal-caller isn't afraid to take risks in the hope of big plays.
Flip on a collection of Joey Aguilar highlights, and a central theme quickly becomes apparent.
The senior quarterback and new Tennessee Volunteers signal-caller plays with an aggressive mentality, fueling his games with deep, contested throws and hard-nosed running. It’s the type of play that both keeps fans cheering and clutching their seats with anxiety all at the same time.
“Aguilar with the clean pocket, he has trust in his arm and he’s kind of a gunslinger,” Tennessee analyst Vince Ferrara said during an appearance on the “Sports Source” program. “And that’s the way he has been described by analysts that have called his games. He just kind of lets it loose and has belief that he can make all the throws.”
While Vols coach Josh Heupel may like for Aguilar to take less risks should the veteran quarterback win the starting job, it’s that “gunslinger” mentality that makes Aguilar who he is as a player. Here are a few examples.
Slinging the football
Aguilar certainly isn’t afraid to launch the football, even if there are several defenders waiting to make a play on the pass.
As seen in the clip above, while quarterbacking Appalachian State last season, Aguilar fits in a pass to tight end Eli Wilson during a game against East Carolina.
The throw here had to be near perfect, as Aguilar was targeting a moving receiver down the middle with one defender in coverage and several others in the area.
It’s a risky pass for even the best quarterbacks, but Aguilar made it, gaining a solid chunk of yardage and moving his offense down the field.
In another example, with his offense facing the end of the first half against South Alabama and needing a big play to give his team some momentum heading into the break, Aguilar launches a deep pass into the end zone, connecting with receiver Dalton Stroman for a 47-yard touchdown.
There wasn’t as much risk involved on this play, as the half was expiring and Appalachian State was in dire need of a big play, but it further shows Aguilar’s “gunslinger” mentality as a quarterback unafraid of testing defenses with his arm.
For good measure, here’s one more look at Aguilar fitting a (risky) pass into tight coverage and being rewarded with a good gain out of it.
“Eat somebody in the face mask”
It’s not just with his arms that Aguilar likes to hurt defenses, though.
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound quarterback isn’t afraid to lay a hit into defenders while on the run, as evidenced several times last season.
In the clip below, Aguilar keeps the ball and barrels into a Coastal Carolina defender right at the first-down line, foregoing the slide and instead opting to lower his shoulder and get as much yardage as possible.
Same for the next clip, in which Aguilar opts to bash his shoulder into a defender while on the run rather than going down quietly.
Aguilar also isn’t afraid of contact while sitting in the pocket, as he often will wait until the last second, taking hits in the process, while allowing the best passing option to develop.
“Dangerous Joey Aguilar, that’s what he does,” Knoxville media personality Tyler Ivens said during the same “Sports Source” appearance. “He holds onto the football until the last second, blitz is coming, he’ll eat somebody in the face mask and if he sees somebody, sometimes a linebacker steps in front of a pass, other times, they’re breaking a tackle going 40 yards the other way for a touchdown.
“You’re seeing it inside the numbers. Even whenever he has somebody, even if he doesn’t have the check-down, Joey Aguilar is going to take some licks, but he’s going to make sure that the ball gets put in the air and you’ve got a 50-50 shot.”
Playing with purpose
Aguilar’s numbers exemplify his high-risk, high-reward mentality.
In two seasons for Appalachian State, he threw 56 touchdowns and ran for five more. He also threw double-digit interceptions each season, totaling 24.
At Tennessee, Aguilar will certainly have plenty of motivation to make big plays. He’s approaching the end of his college career, and this will be by far the biggest stage he’s played on.
He’s also motivated by the teammates in his locker room, looking their way instead of listening to the outside noise.
“It’s all rat poison,” Aguilar said during an interview with WLVT. “You get stuck in that stuff, you try to prove other people wrong, but the only thing that matters is the people in this building and this program. You go out there and play for each other.”
Aguilar has never wavered from playing an exciting brand of football. With plenty of motivation and plenty more to prove in the SEC, don’t expect him to start now.