Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar is in the middle of a legal battle with the NCAA over his eligibility, but for now, he’s still in the game-literally. On February 4, Aguilar was granted a temporary restraining order that allows him to remain eligible while the case moves forward.
A preliminary injunction hearing was held Friday in Knox County Chancery Court, and now it’s up to Chancellor Christopher D. Heagerty to decide what’s next for the Vols’ senior signal-caller.
Aguilar’s journey to Knoxville has been anything but conventional. After a standout 2025 season with Tennessee-his first with the program-he’s become a key figure in the Vols’ offense.
Last year, he completed 272 of 404 passes for 3,565 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions across 13 games. He also added 101 yards and four scores on the ground, showing off a dual-threat ability that gave SEC defenses plenty to think about.
But Aguilar didn’t start his college career in orange and white. His path has taken him from Diablo Valley Community College (2021-22) to Appalachian State (2023-24), where he served as the Mountaineers’ starting quarterback for two seasons.
After the 2024 campaign, he transferred to UCLA, but never saw the field for the Bruins. Following spring practices in Westwood, he made another move-this time to Tennessee, where he finally found his groove under head coach Josh Heupel.
Now, with legal proceedings pending, Aguilar’s future remains uncertain. What is clear, though, is that Tennessee wants him under center when the Vols open their 2026 season on September 5 against Furman at Neyland Stadium. It’ll mark the start of Heupel’s sixth year at the helm, and with Aguilar potentially back in the fold, the Vols could be poised to build on the momentum from last season.
For now, all eyes turn to the court’s decision. But if Aguilar is cleared to play, Tennessee’s offense just might have its leader back for another run.