How Judge's Ruling on Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar Impacts Purdue's Oscar Cluff
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Oscar Cluff's college basketball career will likely conclude after the 2025-26 season. A court ruling involving Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar may have put an end to the Purdue center's chances of returning for next season.
Friday, a Tennessee state judge denied Aguilar's request for a preliminary injunction to play a sixth year of college football at the University of Tennessee, per ESPN. The quarterback's argument was that his two years of competition at the junior college level should not count towards his eligibility at the NCAA Division I level.
Cluff also played two years of junior college basketball before jumping up to the Division I level. The 6-foot-11 center spent the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons at Cochise College (Arizona). He then played at Washington State (2023-24), South Dakota State (2024-25) and Purdue (2025-26).
Cluff did not indicate one way or another whether he would return to Purdue for the 2026-27 season if Aguilar had won his case. It's quite possible that he would have looked to move to the professional level after this season anyway. However, he told BlackandGold.com's Brian Neubert that he was keeping all of his options open.
But, with the court's ruling on Aguilar, it seems unlikely that Cluff would receive a sixth season of eligibility. So, in all likelihood, the 2025-26 season will be his only one in West Lafayette.
Cluff is averaging 10.1 points and 7.3 rebounds for the Boilermakers this season. He is shooting 72.1% from the floor.
Purdue has plenty of options at the five spot
Purdue would probably love to have Cluff's post presence, rebounding ability and physicality for another season, but the Boilermakers are still in a good spot without him next season.
Cluff and Trey Kaufman-Renn are both departing, but the Boilermakers will return 7-foot-4 center Daniel Jacobsen, bring in four-star recruit and 7-foot center Sinan Huan, and 6-foot-11 redshirt freshman Raleigh Burgess will be back in the mix. Purdue will have plenty of bodies to play the five spot.
Additionally, Purdue also signed former Ivy League Player of the Year Caden Pierce from the transfer portal. The ex-Princeton star is 6-foot-7, and could add some depth to the four spot, along with Burgess and potentially Jack Benter.
Purdue's frontcourt will get much younger with both Cluff and Kaufman-Renn out of the picture, but coach Matt Painter has plenty of depth and skill to work with for the 2026-27 season.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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