Joey Aguilar reportedly denied 2026 eligibility, what's next for Tennessee at quarterback
Joey Aguilar will not play for the Vols again in 2026 after a Knoxville judge denied his request for an injunction
Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar was denied a preliminary injunction in his eligibility lawsuit against the NCAA by a Knoxville judge, per multiple reports. That denial figures to be a decisive blow to his efforts at playing for the Volunteers in 2026, and serves as a big win for the NCAA which has been on the wrong side of a number of eligibility cases recently.
Aguilar hoped to follow in the footsteps of Ole Miss star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who received his own temporary injunction from a Mississippi-based chancery court earlier in February. However, Aguilar's case is different than Chambliss', who argued successfully he should gain another year of eligibility due to a health condition he dealt with in 2022.
Aguilar's attorneys tried to argue that his junior college years should not count against his NCAA eligibility. Aguilar spent two years at the City College of San Francisco (2019-20) and two years Diablo Valley College (2021-22) before signing with Appalachian State ahead of the 2023 season.
That was not a sufficient enough argument to win him the same type of temporary injunction against the NCAA that will allow Chambliss to play another year in Oxford, and barring an unforeseen reversal via a quick appeal, Aguilar will not be back in a Volunteer uniform this fall.
What Aguilar's departure means for Tennessee's QB situation
Without Aguilar under center, Tennessee must replace one of the most productive quarterbacks in the SEC from a season ago. Aguilar completed 67.3% percent of his passes for 3,565 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2025 and was going to be one of the top returning QBs in the SEC in 2026.
Because Tennessee didn't land one of the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal -- but not for a lack of trying with Sam Leavitt before LSU locked him down -- the Volunteers will have to turn to unproven youngsters in what becomes one of the most interesting spring quarterback battles in the SEC.
The Vols have redshirt freshman George MacIntyre, who played in just two games last season, and true freshman Faizon Brandon, a five-star prospect from the class of 2026 that ranked as the No. 3 player nationally and the No. 3 quarterback, as the most intriguing options, along with Colorado transfer Ryan Staub. MacIntyre threw a total of nine passes in those two appearances last year, completing seven of them for 69 yards.
His leg up on Brandon for the starting job won't be on-field experience, but the fact that he's had a year to absorb more of coach Josh Heupel's system. For a Tennessee team hoping to threaten for a College Football Playoff berth in 2026, losing Aguilar puts a tremendous amount of pressure on their young quarterback room to get up to speed quickly -- and on Heupel to make the correct choice between two unproven freshmen.
