Tennessee's Joey Aguilar perfect candidate to prove if O-Line was Nico Iamaleava's issue, ESPN says

The Tennessee Volunteers said goodbye to quarterback Nico Iamaleava after he decided to skip practice just one day before the spring game. This came as a shock to many at the time, but the details soon began to unravel. Iamaleava broke his silence during Big Ten Media Days, making it clear that it was simply a family decision.

“My driving factor to come back home was my family, and I hope every Tennessee fan understands that," Iamaleava said at Big Ten Media Days. "It was just a lot of drama, but man, I'm excited to be at UCLA.”

However, some reports suggest there might be more to the story than just a family decision. Iamaleava’s father was reportedly vocal with head coach Josh Heupel about improving the team to keep his son safe. On the Try That in a Small Town podcast, Kirk Herbstreit revealed that Iamaleava’s dad’s ultimatum wasn’t fulfilled.

“You got to get better around him if you want us to stick around. Which blows my mind that a college quarterback’s dad would do that to a head coach,” Herbstreit shared.

Vols senior tight end also criticized Iamaleava, saying the team lacked leadership from him last season.

“I think that's probably the biggest thing we were missing last year," Kitselman said during an appearance on 104.5 The Zone's 3HL. "You know, you come off a drive, go three-and-out, go three-and-out again, and it's like, where's the voice on this team?”

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Meanwhile, transfer quarterback Joey Aguilar has shown better statistics when it comes to staying on his feet.

“Iamaleava was the far more highly touted recruit, but Aguilar, who transferred from Appalachian State to UCLA last winter, is a far better scrambler and takes far fewer sacks," wrote ESPN’s Bill Connelly.

Aguilar’s ability to evade the pocket and extend plays will be a huge asset for the Vols if he becomes the starter. There is no clear frontrunner yet for the position, but it would be a great relief if Aguilar wins the job — especially since he knows how to escape pressure effectively.