Another SEC QB Sues NCAA Over Eligibility for 2026 College Football Season

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

Another SEC QB Sues NCAA Over Eligibility for 2026 College Football Season

The Tennessee Volunteers‘ quarterback room is hanging in the balance just months before the start of the 2026 college football season.

The Vols’ offense could look very different in 2026 if starting senior quarterback Joey Aguilar is not under center, as his current eligibility status would suggest.

The Volunteers went 8–5 in 2025 behind Aguilar’s 3,565 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and four rushing scores in a breakout SEC season following two years of Sun Belt play at Appalachian State.

Aguilar, who began his career at City College of San Francisco in 2019 and played at Diablo Valley College before transferring to Appalachian State, has only played three seasons at the FBS level.

Now, Aguilar has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, arguing that the organization should not count his junior college seasons against his five-year Division I eligibility window.

The quarterback’s lawsuit, filed in Knox County Chancery Court, is linked to a rule that’s come under national scrutiny of late.

That’s because Aguilar is joining Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss in challenging an NCAA decision in a local court. Chambliss, who led the Rebels to the College Football Playoff in 2025, is also awaiting a hearing after his sixth-year waiver was denied.

On top of that, Aguilar was already part of a broader lawsuit launched by former Vanderbilt quarterback and NFLprospect Diego Pavia, but he later withdrew and filed his own case in Tennessee to try to speed up a ruling.

Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6).Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Aguilar’s legal team is seeking an emergency restraining order to block enforcement of the JUCO rule, thus gaining a final year of eligibility at Tennessee. Aguilar could reportedly earn up to $2 million if granted eligibility.

“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,” the complaint says, via The Knoxville News Sentinel. “His compensation for playing college football in 2026 would be approximately $2 million.”

Both Aguilar’s and Chambliss’ cases reflect a growing legal shift, with courts increasingly siding with athletes in disputes over eligibility, compensation, and competitive access.

Neither quarterback, however, is a lock to return to their former programs for the 2026 season, with the final rulings still pending as of early February.

Related: Arch Manning’s Father Defends Son After Texas’ 2025 College Football Season

Related: Nation’s No. 6 WR Makes Decision to Reschedule Commitment Announcement

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos