Joey Aguilar has plenty on his plate right now, but the Tennessee quarterback is keeping his eyes locked on the task at hand: leading the Vols into the Music City Bowl against Illinois on Dec. 30.
It’s a classic end-of-year matchup-SEC meets Big Ten in Nashville-and while Aguilar is undoubtedly studying Bret Bielema’s defense and prepping for one final game of the season, there’s a much bigger question looming over his future.
Aguilar is part of a growing legal battle that could reshape how the NCAA counts eligibility for junior college transfers. He recently joined a lawsuit originally filed by Diego Pavia, which challenges the NCAA rule that counts JUCO seasons toward the standard four years of eligibility. If the suit is successful-and an injunction is granted-it could open the door for Aguilar to return to Knoxville for another year under Josh Heupel.
But for now, Aguilar isn’t letting the legal situation distract from the bowl prep. When asked after a recent practice if there were any updates on the lawsuit, he kept it simple.
“Not much,” he said. “I’m focused on the season, and I’ll pursue what I want to pursue afterwards.”
That’s been Aguilar’s tone throughout this stretch-locked in on the present, not getting ahead of himself. Reporters also asked whether he’s thinking about going pro instead of returning to college, and again, Aguilar played it cool.
“I guess I’ll figure that out after the bowl game,” he said.
It’s a mature approach from a quarterback who’s had to navigate more than just defensive schemes this season. Between the legal uncertainty and the looming decision about his football future, Aguilar is choosing to zero in on what he can control: preparing for Illinois and finishing the season strong.
Whatever happens next-whether it’s a return to Rocky Top, a leap to the pros, or a legal victory that changes the NCAA landscape-Aguilar’s focus right now is exactly where his coaches want it: on helping Tennessee finish the year with a win.