For the past couple of months, fans on Rocky Top have been trying to figure out exactly what the Tennessee Vols’ quarterback plan is for the 2026 season.

Tennessee pursued Arizona State transfer Sam Leavitt, but the Vols weren’t willing to get into a huge bidding war with the LSU Tigers (Leavitt has some injury concerns).

The Vols brought Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula in for a visit, but ultimately passed on the Pennsylvania native.

Tennessee eventually landed Colorado transfer Ryan Staub as a depth option, signaling that rising redshirt freshman George MacIntyre and incoming five-star signee Faizon Brandon would get a chance to win the starting job this spring and fall.

Meanwhile, the possibility of Joey Aguilar returning for another season has loomed in the background throughout the offseason.

Aguilar is seeking an additional season of eligibility, but until this week there hadn’t been much clarity on whether he actually wants to return to Tennessee for another season (Aguilar will turn 25 in June).

The California native was coy near the end of the 2025 season when asked about his plans for 2026.

A report from the Knoxville News Sentinel on Monday, however, has finally shed some real light on Aguilar’s goal for next fall.

Joey Aguilar has a spot on the roster if he’s granted an additional season of eligibility

According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, Aguilar has filed a lawsuit in Knox county against the NCAA. If the lawsuit is successful, Aguilar will be deemed eligible for the 2026 season.

And if that’s the outcome, he’ll have a spot on Tennessee’s football team according to the lawsuit.

Additionally, Aguilar will be paid around $2 million to play for the Volunteers in 2026.

“If the Court granted Aguilar relief from the NCAA’s JUCO rule in the near term, Tennessee has a spot for him on the roster and would welcome him back,” reads Aguilar’s complaint. “His compensation for playing college football in 2026 would be approximately $2 million.”

This seems to confirm that Josh Heupel’s plan is to run it back with Aguilar in 2026 if the lawsuit is successful. And since Aguilar is aggressively pursuing that outcome, it’s reasonable to surmise that he’s all in on returning to Tennessee as a 25-year-old quarterback next fall.

So finally, after months of speculation, we can confidently say that quarterback plan 1A for the Vols is to roll with Aguilar, and quarterback plan 1B (if Aguilar isn’t deemed eligible) is to roll the ball out there and let MacIntyre and Brandon fight for the job.

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