It appears Tennessee football will have a fifth different starting quarterback in as many seasons after Joey Aguilar was denied his bid for an additional year of eligibility.
Hendon Hooker (2022), Joe Milton (2023), Nico Iamaleava (2024) and Aguilar (2025) started the past four seasons, and now the job is open again.
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The question is whether the 2026 season will start the George MacIntyre or Faizon Brandon era for the Vols. And Colorado transfer Ryan Staub is the darkhorse candidate in that quarterback trio because UT failed to land a premier signal caller in the transfer portal.
Aguilar’s request for a preliminary injunction was denied by Chancellor Chris Heagerty in Knox County Chancery Court on Feb. 20. The ruling upholds the NCAA eligibility rules regarding former junior college players.
Barring a reversal on appeal, it means the 24-year-old Aguilar is ineligible to play anymore in college. He’ll try to extend his football career in the professional ranks. He will be at the NFL scouting combine on Feb. 27 in Indianapolis, an event he planned to attend whether the injunction was granted or denied.
George MacIntyre, Faizon Brandon to compete in Tennessee spring practice
Many Tennessee fans are disappointed by the Aguilar news, but others are ready to move on.
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One thing is for sure: Tennessee spring practice just got a lot more interesting. The Vols will kick off spring practice on March 16 with a three-man competition at quarterback.
MacIntyre and Brandon were highly touted recruits with very little inexperience.
MacIntyre, a former four-star recruit out of Brentwood Academy, may have a slight edge because he’s been in coach Josh Heupel’s offensive system for a year. As a freshman, he completed 7 of 9 passes for 69 yards in two games.
Brandon is a five-star recruit and among the top prospects in the 2026 class. He enrolled at UT in January, so he’s ready to challenge for the job. But he must learn the offense first.
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Staub has more playing experience but probably a lower ceiling. He was a backup at Colorado who earned most of his playing time as a redshirt sophomore in 2025. He completed 30 of 55 passes for 427 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions. He also rushed for one TD.
Replacing Aguilar won’t be easy. He led the SEC with 3,565 passing yards and guided the league’s highest scoring offense in 2025. But the Vols posted an 8-5 record and finished outside the Top 25 for the first time since 2021, so there’s room for improvement.
The new quarterback will face a daunting schedule that includes nine SEC games and a trip to Georgia Tech.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: George MacIntyre or Faizon Brandon? Tennessee football has QB options
