By Billy Watkins
OXFORD — Ole Miss safety Joenel Aguero was a member of the Georgia Bulldogs when the Rebels beat them n the Sugar Bowl during the first evening of 2026.
I asked him at Ole Miss’ recent media day: Were y’all shocked that head coach Pete Golding’s Rebels won the quarterfinal matchup of the College Football Playoffs?
“I wouldn’t say shocked because they came to Georgia earlier in the season and it was a really close game,” said Aguero, who didn’t play in the Sugar Bowl because of a torn ligament in his right wrist. “We knew they were a great team, and they got better every game last year.
“Myself, I definitely wasn’t shocked. I always viewed them as a team with a lot of talent — a LOT of talent. I played against them (in Oxford) in 2024 when they had (quarterback) Jaxson Dart and lost to them. I feel like Ole Miss has always had the talent, the players. But they seemed to fall just a little bit short.”
Aguero saw a different Ole Miss that night in New Orleans, a program that had learned how to win on the big stage. It played heavily into his decision to transfer here a few days later.
Another reason was that Golding offered him the chance to play free safety, his natural position. He never felt comfortable at Star — a hybrid linebacker/defensive back role — where Georgia employed him.
Plus, the defensive scheme he learned at Georgia is nearly the same used by Golding. “Both coaches are from the same tree,” Aguero said, “so really the only difference is the terminology.”
When asked what Golding and defensive coordinator Bryan Brown are expecting from him, he didn’t hesitate.
“Ole Miss just wants me to be the player that I am,” said Aguero, a 6-foot, 200-pound senior who grew up just outside Boston. “Stay deep, be able to play the deep post, and come downhill and wreck plays. I love that. I love free safety. I feel I can make a lot more plays there.”
As he talked, Aguero’s eyes changed from clear to almost a game-day glaze. I mentioned that to him. He smiled.
“I know what you mean,” he said. “Honestly, I’m ready to get hit and hit somebody. I’ve been waiting so long. I missed the last two games of last season, then I couldn’t have any contact in spring while the wrist healed. But I’m a hundred percent now.
“Whoever comes my way is gonna get it.”
**********
Aguero, 22, was a consensus four-star safety and a Top 50 overall prospect out of high school. He helped lead St. John’s Prep school to a Massachusetts state title his senior year.
After sifting through dozens of college offers, he chose Georgia over Ohio State and Miami.
“It was close,” he said. “I took one more visit (to Ohio State) before I realized Georgia was where I needed to be.”
He battled hand and leg injuries his sophomore season, which limited his playing time. As a junior, he made a critical interception in an overtime victory at Tennessee in the season’s third game.
“I’ve seen him make those plays in practice,” Georgia teammate Chris Cole told Dawgs247 postgame. “Seeing him work every single day, and just to see the way he carries himself off the field and on the field, it wasn’t surprising to me.”
Soon came the wrist injury. He started all the remaining regular-season games but the bum wrist limited him. The training staff finally shut him down entering the postseason.
“It was pretty difficult to have to watch from the sideline,” he said. “I’d put in all the time and effort with that group of people and I wasn’t able to be there for the biggest moments. I just tried to be supportive, especially for the guy playing in my place.”
Dawgs247 called Aguero’s transfer “seismic.”
“I feel like I’ve got a lot to prove,” Aguero said. “Obviously, my past two seasons weren’t what people expected. I feel like a lot of people kind of pushed me to the side. I don’t really care what people think, but I do use that as motivation.
“I feel like now is the time to do what I do. As long as I stay healthy, I’m going to do my job.”
*********
I had heard about Georgia’s “Bloody Tuesdays” and wanted his take on the idea of having a full contact practice four days before a game each week. Most teams don’t have the depth to risk injuries in between games.
“It was full speed. Every drill — contact, contact, contact,” Aguero said. “It definitely made me a better player. It made me tougher. Yeah, you’re sore the next day. But you’re always going to hurt. That’s just part of the game. I feel like we got used to it.”
Aguero is the father of a seven-month-old daughter and learning how quickly babies grow into a larger size diaper.
“Man, they grow fast,” he said, laughing. “I’m new to fatherhood and being around her is just amazing. I would do anything for her. My girlfriend is here with me, and she’s done an amazing job with her, too.”
It’s just the three of them in Oxford. The rest of Aguero’s family still lives in Massachusetts.
“But they’ll be at every game,” he said. “They never miss one.”
##########
