Where Tennessee quarterback search stands, Joey Aguilar to Ty Simpson

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Tennessee football still needs a quarterback, and the options are narrowing in the transfer portal, with about two-thirds of the top candidates already claimed.

Does coach Josh Heupel have an ace up his sleeve like the possibility of Joey Aguilar’s return or Ty Simpson’s transfer? Or is Heupel dragging his feet while competitors sprint toward coveted quarterbacks?

The Vols have been noticeably quiet amid a frenzied sweepstakes that kicked off when the portal opened Jan. 2. It may be too early to worry, but try telling that to UT fans eager for good news.

The QB cupboard isn’t bare at Tennessee. George MacIntyre, a former four-star recruit, and Faizon Brandon, a five-star signee, are set for the 2026 roster. But UT needs a third quarterback either to start or at least compete with those youngsters for the No. 1 spot.

Here’s where Tennessee stands on Jan. 5 in pursuit of a transfer quarterback.

Here’s where the top quarterback transfers are headed

Schools acted quickly to land premier quarterbacks when the portal opened. Granted, teams frequently tamper and contact players via third party before then, but those rules for now are rarely enforced.

According to 247Sports rankings, 13 of the top 20 quarterbacks in the portal already have chosen their new school. For context, former Tennessee quarterbacks Jake Merklinger and Tayven Jackson are ranked No. 25 and 27, respectively, on that list.

Here are updates on the top 20 quarterbacks in the portal, according to various reports:

  • Sam Leavitt (Arizona State): He has visited Kentucky and LSU, and Miami appears to be in the mix.
  • Brendan Sorsby (Cincinnati): Committed to Texas Tech, which is among the biggest spenders for transfers.
  • Drew Mestemaker (North Texas): Committed to Oklahoma State, following former Mean Green coach Eric Morris.
  • D.J. Lagway (Florida): He has visited Florida State and Virginia, and he’s keeping his options open.
  • Dylan Raiola (Nebraska): Sorsby’s commitment took Texas Tech off the table. Raiola is still on the market, perhaps for a playoff team, while he rehabs a broken fibula suffered in November.
  • Deuce Knight (Auburn): Still on the market but reportedly linked to Ole Miss, pending Rebels QB Trinidad Chambliss’ NCAA waiver request for a medical redshirt.
  • Byrum Brown (South Florida): He visited Auburn, where he could follow former USF coach Alex Golesh, the former Tennessee offensive coordinator.
  • Rocco Becht (Iowa State): Committed to Penn State, where he’s following former Iowa State coach Matt Campbell.
  • Josh Hoover (TCU): Committed to Indiana to take over for Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza next season.
  • Austin Simmons (Ole Miss): Committed to Missouri.
  • Ethan Grunkemeyer (Penn State): Committed to Virginia Tech, where he’s following former Penn State coach James Franklin.
  • Kenny Minchey (Notre Dame): Committed to Nebraska.
  • Aidan Chiles (Michigan State): Still on the market.
  • Beau Pribula (Missouri): Still on the market but linked to Georgia Tech and Stanford
  • Aaron Philo (Georgia Tech): Committed to Florida.
  • Lincoln Kienholz (Ohio State): Committed to Louisville.
  • Cutter Boley (Kentucky): Committed to Arizona State.
  • Katin Houser (East Carolina): Committed to Illinois.
  • Colton Joseph (Old Dominion): Committed to Wisconsin.
  • Jaden Craig (Harvard): Committed to TCU.

Joey Aguilar doesn’t have eligibility remaining (for now)

Aguilar could solve UT’s problem if he is granted an additional year of eligibility, but that hasn’t happened yet.

He is attached to the lawsuit filed by Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia against the NCAA in federal court, which challenges the association’s eligibility rules involving former junior college players.

Aguilar led the SEC in passing yards during the 2025 regular season. He finished with 3,565 yards passing, the third-most in program history, during his lone season at UT following a loss to Illinois in the Music City Bowl.

It’s still possible that he could run it back for one more season. But there have been no recent developments in the case, meaning UT must approach the 2026 season as if Aguilar will not be eligible.

There’s also the factor of his health. On Jan. 2, he underwent surgery to remove a benign tumor on his arm, and it’ll take eight weeks for him to recover. That wouldn’t be a deal breaker for UT, but it’s another obstacle to consider.

Alabama QB Ty Simpson isn’t in the portal, but could he be?

Simpson appears to have three options: return to Alabama, declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, or enter the portal. He has one season of college eligibility remaining.

If he gets a first-round draft grade, expect him to head to the NFL. If he wants to return to Alabama, it’s hard to believe coach Kalen DeBoer would decline. But Simpson could consider going into the portal, according to numerous reports.

That scenario seems the least likely, but Tennessee would be a logical choice if Simpson hit the portal. The former Martin Westview star chose Alabama over Tennessee after Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt was fired amid a recruiting scandal that resulted in probation for the program.

Otherwise, Simpson may have been a Vol all along.

Speculation of Simpson considering Tennessee grew on Jan. 5 when a photo of Heupel at Westview High School was posted on Twitter. But Heupel was visiting recruits at numerous high schools in West Tennessee. The photo was posted by Miles Brown, a cornerback in the 2027 class who UT is recruiting.

Maybe George MacIntyre, Faizon Brandon are the answers

On Dec. 18, Heupel indicated that Tennessee plans to add a quarterback from the portal. He may not have a choice, with only two scholarship quarterbacks on the 2026 roster after Merklinger entered the portal.

“There’s been years where we’ve had that happen, where you’ve had to play a third (quarterback). So you don’t want to do that, but it’s happened before,” Heupel said, emphasizing the need to carry at least three.

But perhaps the door is widening for MacIntyre and Brandon to compete for the starting job, especially if UT signs a transfer quarterback who is outside the top 10.

On Dec. 29, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle said that MacIntyre spent Music City Bowl practices getting ready to compete for an expanded role in 2026.

“We knew that we needed to take December and use it as a new spring (practice) for (MacIntyre), so he could get started on those reps,” Halzle said. “(MacIntyre) is like, ‘Hey, I’m a redshirt guy, but now I’m pushing to be a guy competing for playing time in the future.’

“He handled it the way I expected him to — mature, businesslike. And I’m really happy with where he is right now.”

Stay tuned, because Tennessee’s quarterback scenarios could change quickly. That’s the norm when the portal is open.

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 atknoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee quarterback search, Joey Aguilar, Ty Simpson, transfer portal

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