Tennessee football is moving on to another quarterback in 2026. Despite looking to be granted a preliminary injunction to return to the Vols, Joey Aguilar lost his case and is out of eligibility.
Now, after attending the NFL Scouting Combine last month, Aguilar is headed to the NFL draft. As he prepares for his Pro Day in Knoxville at the end of the month, former NFL signal-caller Chris Simms released his top-five quarterbacks for the draft class.
Simms listed Aguilar as the fourth-best in the class at the position. He was behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, who was in a tier of his own, Alabama’s Ty Simpson, who was alone in the second tier, and Texas Tech’s Behren Morton, who led the third tier. Fifth place, also in the third tier, was LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier.
My 2026 Draft QB rankings…No surprise at #1, Fernando Mendoza is clear QB1 and worth the #1 overall pick. pic.twitter.com/8ftq4ChpYL
Advertisement— Chris Simms (@CSimmsQB) March 16, 2026
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This ranking for Aguilar is much higher than most. ESPN released its top 12 quarterbacks in the class in early March, which did not feature Aguilar. Most mock drafts do not have Aguilar being selected, though he could go in a late round. The 2026 NFL Draft is scheduled to begin on April 23 and will run through April 25.
In Aguilar’s lone season with Tennessee, the team finished 8-5 (4-4 SEC) with a loss to Illinois in the Music City Bowl. However, the offense took a big step back in the right direction. Aguilar posted an SEC-high in passing yards at 3,565 with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Prior to his only season at UT, Aguilar played two at Appalachian State. He also played two years at the junior college level. He only had spring practice to get ready for his season with the Vols, though. Initially, he transferred to UCLA, but re-entered the portal after Nico Iamaleava took his spot with the Bruins.
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