ESPN SHOCKER: Tennessee Volunteers QB Joey Aguila Stuns College Football World—Declines $4.5M NIL Deal from Georgia to Succeed Carson Beck! Already Secured $2.1M in December, But Chooses Loyalty to the Vols Over Bigger Payday—A Bold Move in Today’s Chaotic NIL Landscape!

Joey Aguilar, who hails from junior college (Diablo Valley) before shining at Appalachian State, went 3,757 yards and 33 TDs in 2023, then 3,003 yards and 23 TDs in 2024, totaling 6,760 yards and 56 touchdowns over two seasons . He moved to UCLA in December 2024 with high hopes and an NIL contract valued at about $1.2 million—what remained from UCLA’s backing .

At the same time, Tennessee’s starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava was seeking a raise from his roughly $2.4 million NIL deal. After a standoff that included missing a spring practice, he entered the transfer portal and landed at UCLA .

In response, Aguilar followed Iamaleava’s path in reverse—transferring from UCLA to Tennessee—securing an NIL deal “close to” $1.2 million, essentially picking up where he’d left off with UCLA . All that delivered was a seven-figures discount for Tennessee compared to the $2.4 million they were paying Iamaleava .

So while it may have looked like a blockbuster NIL saga, there’s no credible evidence Georgia made a $4.5 million offer. Nor is there any factual support that Aguilar turned down such a deal to show loyalty to Tennessee. Instead, what actually happened was a high-profile NIL-driven quarterback swap between Tennessee and UCLA.

Key facts (with absolute clarity on dates and numbers):

• Aguilar had a ~$1.2 million NIL payout lined up from UCLA in December 2024.
• Iamaleava was on roughly $2.4 million at Tennessee before asking for more.
• In April 2025, Iamaleava transferred to UCLA; Aguilar transferred to Tennessee.
• Aguilar’s new deal at Tennessee is also around $1.2 million—significantly less than Iamaleava’s old deal .

All of this aligns with coverage from Reuters, SI, Yahoo Sports, On3, Front Office Sports, Sporting News, TheScore, USA Today, VolReport, and Tennessee-focused outlets .