Joey Aguilar became one of the most productive passers in the Southeastern Conference in the 2025 season. As he had a strong individual season in his only year with Tennessee, the Volunteers were eager to have him return for another season.
Lane Kiffin Shares Why Joey Aguilar’s Bid for Another College Season Was Denied
Aguilar is pursuing an eighth year of college football, which will be only his fourth at the NCAA level. However, Judge Chris Heagerty has denied his request for an additional year of eligibility and issued a 29-page ruling on Friday following last week’s Chancery Court hearing. The Tennessee quarterback has the option to file an interlocutory or interim appeal, but the appellate court is not required to approve it.
Meanwhile, LSU head coach Lane Kiffin weighed in on what he believes went wrong in Aguilar’s eligibility case.
“When you don’t get @TomMarsLaw involved,” Kiffin tweeted.
Mars is a prominent trial attorney and crisis consultant known for handling high-profile college football eligibility and transfer disputes. He notably helped Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss secure a 2026 eligibility ruling after an initial waiver denial. The NCAA had originally denied Chambliss a medical redshirt for the 2026 season despite documented health issues in 2022. Keeping aside Kiffin’s continued reference to his former team, Ole Miss, Mars’ reputation for successfully managing these cases is actually top-notch.
As for Aguilar, he argued that his junior college years should not count against his NCAA eligibility clock after a four-year JUCO career. After JUCO, he spent two seasons at Appalachian State before transferring to Tennessee in April.
His legal team claimed that denying him another year would cause “Labor Market Harm” and “Consumer Market Harm,” but Chancellor Heagerty questioned the lack of supporting evidence during the hearings.
Following the decision, the NCAA issued a statement reaffirming its commitment to eligibility rules.
“The NCAA is thankful for the judge’s decision today which demonstrates the court’s consideration of eligibility standards and protecting access to the collegiate experience for current and future student-athletes,” the statement read.
“We will continue to defend the NCAA’s eligibility rules against attempts to circumvent foundational policies and hinder fair competition to all student-athletes. The NCAA is making changes to deliver more benefits to student-athletes and will continue to work with Congress to provide stability for all college athletes.”
Aguilar will now attend the 2026 NFL Combine in Indianapolis, as he was listed as QB01 (alphabetical) on Friday’s Media Availability Schedule.
Aguilar completed 272 of 404 passes for 3,565 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 2025. He finished the season ranked No. 26 nationally in the PFSN’s CFB QB Impact Metric with an 85.0 score.
Before transferring to Tennessee, Aguilar originally signed with UCLA in Dec. 2024. He and former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava essentially swapped schools after Iamaleava transferred to UCLA following spring practice. With Aguilar moving on, Tennessee will now have its fifth different starting quarterback in as many years.
