Tennessee Pushed to Land Projected $2.6 Million Touted Quarterback: Insider

The Tennessee Volunteers recently signed UCLA transfer quarterback Joey Aguilar with a contract worth nearly $1.2 million. But before this move, the Volunteers had cast a wide net in the transfer portal for an experienced signal-caller. One of their targets was TCU quarterback Josh Hoover, valued at $2.6 million, per On3. The 6-foot-1 star completed 313-of-471 passes, tallying 3.949 yards and 27 touchdowns. SEC spring-transfer rules bar immediate eligibility for in-conference moves, narrowing the Vols’ target list to non-SEC quarterbacks. Hoover, a former Texas Tech recruit, emerged as a key pursuit thanks to his pocket presence and familiarity with pro-style offenses.

Yet with projected NIL demands hovering around $2.6 million, Tennessee was unable to compete with the financial guarantees his camp secured at TCU. “Tennessee inquired with the agents of several Big 12, Big Ten and ACC starting quarterbacks about the possibility they would become available in the transfer portal, sources said, a tactic that has become commonplace across the sport as players increasingly seek representation.” Chris Low, Maax Olson and Adam Rittenberg wrote on April 23. QB Joey Aguilar is transferring from UCLA to Tennessee in what’s essentially a quarterback trade, sources told @ClowESPN.

But it’s not easy to pry one away in the spring with most returning starters already locked into seven-figure deals with their current teams. Illinois’ Luke Altmyer, TCU’s Josh Hoover and Kansas State’s Avery Johnson were all rumored to be interests of Tennessee but couldn’t be flipped, according to sources.” They added. Behind the scenes, Spyre Sports Group evaluated its budget ceiling even as Heupel continued to develop redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and incoming freshman George MacIntyre. Ultimately, they successfully landed the UCLA quarterback without overextending their budget.