Paul Finebaum Makes Prediction Amid Joey Aguilar-NCAA Eligibility Case

The Tennessee Volunteers are currently stuck in a holding pattern regarding their roster for the 2026 football season. While the team moves through its offseason program, the biggest play is happening inside a Knox County courtroom rather than on the field. Quarterback Joey Aguilar is currently suing the NCAA to secure a final season of competition.

Aguilar contends that his previous seasons at the junior college level should not count against his Division I eligibility clock. A preliminary injunction hearing took place on Friday regarding the matter. Chancellor Christopher D. Heagerty did not issue an immediate ruling from the bench and opted to review the extensive documentation over the weekend.

The situation has paused the quarterback market for the Volunteers as they await clarity on their starter. The court extended a temporary restraining order that allows Aguilar to practice with the team while the legal process plays out. As the college football world waits for a decision expected early this week, a prominent analyst weighed in on how he sees the situation unfolding.

Paul Finebaum expects Joey Aguilar to return for Tennessee

Paul Finebaum, appearing on the McElroy and Cubelic In The Morning podcast, discussed the high-profile eligibility case and offered a prediction on Aguilar's outcome. The longtime college football commentator believes the legal momentum is swinging in favor of the student-athlete.

"My gut feeling is he's going to play and I'm basing that on very little other than the fact that the judge kept referring to Tennessee as 'we,'" Finebaum said regarding the hearing. "I just sense that Aguilar—they're all different—but my feeling is he is going to get the additional year."

Finebaum noted that the landscape of college athletics has shifted dramatically regarding how legal challenges are handled. He pointed out that the NCAA previously held absolute authority over appeals, but that dynamic has eroded as lawyers have become more aggressive in challenging the governing body.

"It scared the NCAA to death and now they're having to defend everything and quite frankly they should have to defend everything," Finebaum said regarding the shift in legal strategy against the organization.

Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joey Aguilar — Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar in the courtroom before a hearing in Knox County Chancery Court in Knoxville, Tenn. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The argument brings into question the validity of junior college tenures impacting Division I time limits. Finebaum suggested that the confusion stemming from the COVID-19 waivers has complicated enforcement and left the NCAA vulnerable to these types of suits.

"Nobody really has a good handle on, you know, whether junior college matters or not," Finebaum said. "It's just a different world. Players are taking advantage of their freedom and they're going to places."

Aguilar threw for 3,565 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2025 while leading Tennessee to an 8-5 record. He is currently rehabbing with the team after undergoing surgery in January to remove a benign tumor.

The Volunteers awaits the court's final ruling, which is expected to be delivered on Tuesday.