Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar granted temporary restraining order as he attempts to play for Vols in 2026
- - Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar granted temporary restraining order as he attempts to play for Vols in 2026
Nick Bromberg February 5, 2026 at 2:22 AM
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Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar has received a temporary restraining order to potentially allow him to play for the Volunteers in 2026.
Aguilar filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in Knox County (Tennessee) Chancery Court on Monday to try to play next season even though he’s officially out of eligibility. On Wednesday, Aguilar got a TRO in his favor ahead of an injunction hearing on Friday.
If Aguilar gets the injunction, he’s likely to be on Tennessee’s roster in 2026. If he doesn’t, his chances of getting that extra season of eligibility are a lot lower.
The former Appalachian State quarterback officially began his college football career in 2019. He redshirted at a community college in 2019 before his school's 2020 season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He then played two seasons at a different junior college before he transferred to App State ahead of the 2023 season.
After two seasons with the Mountaineers, he transferred to UCLA for the 2025 season. However, he left the Bruins after just a couple months when former Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava transferred to UCLA. Aguilar ended up at Tennessee in what was essentially the first trade in modern college football history.
Aguilar has cited Diego Pavia as an example in his lawsuit. The former Vanderbilt QB played his final season of college football in 2025 after he successfully argued that his junior college time shouldn't count against his NCAA eligibility. However, Pavia's college career began in 2020, a year after Aguilar's did.
Like Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss, Aguilar filed his lawsuit against the NCAA in state court — ostensibly in an attempt to get a more favorable permanent ruling. Chambliss, who transferred to Ole Miss from Division II Ferris State, is seeking a sixth season of eligibility to play for the Rebels in 2026 after leading Ole Miss to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff in 2025.
Neither Tennessee nor Ole Miss have solid backup plans at quarterback if the legal maneuvering falls short, either. The chances of each team contending in the SEC hinge largely on their starting quarterbacks returning for the 2026 season given that neither the Vols nor Rebels added an experienced quarterback in the transfer portal.
Source: “AOL Sports”
