Tennessee closed the season with a disappointing final month, going 2–3 over its last five games. While the defense had its share of struggles, the offense also left plenty to be desired during that stretch.
Who's leaving and who's joining: Tennessee football's 2026 Transfer Portal tracker
The Vols' points per game during the final stretch of the year were the worst they had been all season. The offense was not as effiecnt as they were early in the year, and we might know why.
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network has reported that Joey Aguilar just had a successful surgery that removed a benign tumor that has been pushing on his biceps tendon and labrum.
University of Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar had successful surgery today to remove a benign tumor that has been pushing on his biceps tendon and labrum, causing weakness and pain, sources say.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 2, 2026
Aguilar kept the situation quiet, but handled it today. Full recovery in 8 weeks. pic.twitter.com/tvhpNk1hmJ
Joey Aguilar successfully out of surgery for benign tumor
First of all, wow. Thank goodness Aguilar is okay and went through the surgery successfully. I can't imagine the amount of pain that Aguilar has been going through, and the fact that he played in an essentially meaningless bowl game with this going on shows the type of person that Aguilar is.
This also explains why the offense took a dip in the final part of the season. Aguilar in the New Mexico State game threw two interceptions and in the Vanderbilt game just looked off. No matter how you look at it, this had to have severely affected Aguilar.
It remains unclear whether Aguilar will be back in Knoxville for 2026, but it appears increasingly unlikely. As a result, Josh Heupel is expected to turn to the transfer portal to bring in a quarterback and fill the void.
If there is one thing to be said its that Joey Aguilar will forever be a fan favorite in Knoxville. His heart and love for Tennessee is real, and Vols fans will always appreciate his time here.