Brooks Austin explains why Tennessee is ‘fortunate’ to have lost Joey Aguilar eligibility case
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Joey Aguilar will not play college football at Tennessee next season.
The App State transfer had a good lone season on Rocky Top and attempted to secure another season of eligibility soon after the end of the campaign. However, courts ruled that Aguilar will not be granted another season, meaning the Vols will have to run with one of 2nd-year Vol George MacIntyre, freshman Faizon Brandon or transfer Ryan Staub in 2026.
And according to The Film Guy himself, Brooks Austin, that may be a blessing in disguise for Tennessee.
Austin said the Vols are “fortunate” to have lost the Aguilar eligibility case, insisting it’s the “best thing for the long-term health of this quarterback room. There’s a window of opportunity for us to have excellent QB play, tied with a good roster to go on any compete for a title… Odds are, for young football players, that window of excellent QB comes in Year 2 or 3 of the system.”
Here’s a look at Austin’s full comments:
George MacIntyre as the potential guy for Tennessee this year if you follow Austin’s logic laid out above. The former 4-star prospect will be entering his second year in the Tennessee program and has shown impressive accuracy in his limited snaps. From there, after Tennessee has learned what it has with MacIntyre, 5-star Brandon Faizon would be an option during his second year with the Vols in the year following, 2027. Staub, a transfer from Colorado with 3 seasons under his belt and likely 2 seasons of eligibility remaining, is the true wild card here.
Aguilar was a good quarterback for Tennessee, but it always felt like 2025 was a bit of a transition year or the Vols following the departure of Nico Iamaleava to UCLA. While Aguilar would have probably been the safest option entering 2026, Austin definitely has a point – MacIntyre and Brandon are talented quarterbacks, but they have to actually play to stick around in this NIL age. It’s better for Tennessee to know what they have earlier rather than later in the grand scheme of things.
Because the production Tennessee will see at the QB position is such an unknown entering next season, the Vols’ SEC title hopes aren’t exactly at the top of the list according to Kalshi. Here’s a look:
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
