Joey Aguilar Denied Preliminary Injunction
KNOXVILLE - Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar has been denied a preliminary injunction against the NCAA by a Knox County judge, blocking him from returning to the Vols for his second season in orange and his eighth season as a college player overall. Aguilar can still appeal the ruling, but would need to be approved in a short time.
Knox News ’ Adam Sparks first reported the news.
Chancellor Christopher Heagerty denied the injunction a week after the hearing last Friday, eight days after a Mississippi court ruled in favor of Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss to receive another year of eligibility as well. The same attorneys representing the NCAA in Aguilar’s case were also the ones fighting against Chambliss’s as well.
BREAKING: Tennessee Quarterback Joey Aguilar has been denied an extra year of eligibility in a Knox County Court
— FOX Sports Knoxville (@FOXSportsKnox) February 20, 2026
The Antioch, California native’s pursuit of an injunction was denied by Chris Heagerty in the Knox County Chancery Court.
The Vols quarterback argued that since he… pic.twitter.com/MOqcAMXBX5
Aguilar originally filed for a TRO and injunction on Feb. 2, with the hearing originally scheduled for Feb. 6 before both sides agreed to postpone to the following week. He had originally been a plaintiff in the Diego Pavia lawsuit before dropping out of that case and hiring his own lawyer, Cam Norris, who previously represented Tennessee against the NCAA in their 2024 lawsuit.
In his first season in Knoxville, Aguilar led the SEC in passing yards (3,565) with a 67.3% completion rate and threw 24 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He spent the 2024 anf 2023 seasons at Appalachian State and at Diablo Valley Community College the two years prior. He began his college career in 2019 at City College of San Francisco.
Tennessee and the California native argue that the years he spent in JUCO should not count against his eligibility, as he has only played three seasons at the division one level. He redshirted in 2019, had his season cancelled in 2020, and had two years of JUCO ball at Diablo Valley CC.
Aguilar wanted the case settled quickly so he could know whether to prepare for the NFL Draft or enroll in Tennessee and report to Spring training camp. He announced he planned to attend the NFL Draft earlier this week.
Now, the Vols will pivot to either redshirt freshman George MacIntyre or true freshman Faizon Brandon.
By: Walker Smith