A Tennessee state judge has denied quarterback Joey Aguilar's request for a preliminary injunction to play for the Volunteers this season, effectively ending his college football career. Aguilar's attorneys argued that his two seasons at Diablo Valley Community College shouldn't count toward his four years of Division I eligibility.

Aguilar, 24, played two seasons at Diablo Valley Community College in California and two more at Appalachian State before joining Tennessee last year. Chancery Christopher D. Heagerty's ruling in Knox County Chancery Court represents a major blow to the Volunteers, who now lack a clear successor to Aguilar for the upcoming season. Aguilar's legal team had claimed he stood to make about $2 million with the Volunteers this season.

The ruling marks a significant victory for the NCAA, which has faced multiple legal challenges to its eligibility rules. The decision comes just days after a Mississippi judge ruled that Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss was eligible for a sixth season. Aguilar was expected to participate in next week's NFL combine after severing himself from a federal lawsuit involving Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, who was granted eligibility to play in 2025.