Readers hope a judge will solve Tennessee football QB problem | Adams
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The College Football Playoff has extended my favorite sports season, which has been lengthened further by transfer transactions.
All the football business — most notably, Tennessee’s futile quarterback chase — also has kept most of my literary contributors preoccupied. However, Chris took enough time off from quarterback analyses to chastise Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes for wasting talent.
Bill writes: I keep reading how UT has botched the portal search for a quarterback. No one ever touches on whether Joey will prevail in his lawsuit and return to UT.
Why does no one speak to this? Have I missed something? Seems like, if Joey comes back, we don’t need a quarterback from the portal.
My response: Tennessee failed terribly in its quarterback search. But its desperate, eleventh-hour attempt to sign Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt indicated it didn’t expect to have Aguilar for another season. Another indicator: The Vols got a commitment from backup quarterback Ryan Staub.
Mike writes: Is it that Heupel & Co. have appeared imbecilic in their QB search because they know a secret — the Judge is about to grant Joey Aguilar another year of eligibility?
I hope there is something like that in the works, because otherwise, they will have righted the defensive side (fingers crossed) but sunk the offense. To do so — when facing the roughest, toughest football schedule in Tennessee history — would border on criminal intent.
My response: I doubt Josh Heupel and his team of analysts have insight into Aguilar’s case. Apparently, their quarterback strategy has been — I’m paraphrasing here — “Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
That analytical approach worked beautifully in Heupel’s first season, when Jeremy Pruitt recruit Hendon Hooker became one of college football’s best quarterbacks.
Congrats on being the first literary contributor to use “imbecilic” in an email.
David writes: Just as way too early rankings are usually off the mark, it’s also too early to judge Tennessee having bungled the QB hunt. That result won’t truly be known until the end of the 2026 campaign.
It appears the Vols defense is being significantly upgraded and they have two immensely talented — yet, agreed, unproven — youngsters at QB. I’ll not underestimate Heupel’s skill at getting either of them or a yet to be found diamond in the rough for an improved ’26 season.
My response: Your confidence is noted, but Heupel hasn’t been infallible in evaluating quarterbacks. He didn’t think Hooker was the right quarterback but thought Joe Milton was. He also thought Nico Iamaleava was the right quarterback.
He was wrong about all three.
Sam writes: Who said the Vols had a great season last year with Joey Aguilar? They got beat by everybody who was anybody and didn’t make the playoffs. Their schedule was a patsy. Tha Vols are sinking where they are comfortable, the bottom.
My response: Tennessee is a long way from the bottom. Mississippi State and Arkansas, who won one SEC game between them, can vouch for that.
The Vols didn’t just beat them. They beat them back-to-back.
You’re also not giving UT enough credit for winning by 20 points against Florida in The Swamp. Only seven other teams were good enough to beat the Gators.
Warren writes: With all the NIL and portal auction-house hubbub, I have lost track. Do players still have to attend classes?
My response: Classes are optional in the NIL era with one exception. Attendance in a money-management class is required.
Colorado Mark writes: Trinidad Chambliss, suing the NCAA, hooda thunk? It’s Pro Football now. Let them play as long as they want.
If I’m the NCAA, I would let the billionaires figure it out. After all, they are the true owners of big boy college football now.
My response: Despite the changes in the sport, success will continue to depend on recruiting. The school that recruits the most billionaires will win most often.
Chris writes: Rick Barnes strikes again. He truly wastes more talent than almost any coach. And what about those last two sets he called for in the last minute against Kentucky? Pathetic. He is a very average coach at best.
As I wrote during football season, UT = good, but not elite. Barnes won’t get this team to the Sweet 16 this year. He doesn’t have the players to overcome his coaching.
My response: Barnes’ coaching will get him in the Hall of Fame, just as your razor-sharp critiques of Tennessee coaches got you in the Literary Contributors Hall of Fame.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Readers hope a judge will solve Tennessee football’s QB problem
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