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Tennessee QB search updates: Beau Pribula commits to Virginia, not Vols
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- Tennessee QB search updates: Beau Pribula commits to Virginia, not Vols
Tennessee football 's quarterback search appears to be in the fourth quarter, but the result is unknown.
The Vols have been linked to Arizona State 's Sam Leavitt , Alabama 's Ty Simpson , Missouri 's Beau Pribula and Joey Aguilar , their 2025 starter who's fighting the NCAA in federal court to gain an extra season of eligibility.
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But it appears Leavitt, Pribula and Simpson are off the table. And the door is likely closed to Aguilar returning.
Here are the latest developments on Jan. 12, beginning with the latest.
Beau Pribula commits to Virginia after Tennessee visit
Pribula was believed to be the front-runner to sign with Tennessee. But he has committed to Virginia, according to numerous reports.
Pribula visited Tennessee and Virginia. And it appeared that he was an alternate option if the Vols couldn't land Leavitt. But within a few minutes of Leavitt signing with LSU , news of Pribula's commitment to Virginia was reported.
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Pribula completed 67.4% of his passes for 1,941 yards, 11 TDs and nine interceptions in 10 games for the Tigers in 2025. He rushed for 297 yards and six TDs, and he missed two games with a dislocated ankle injury.
Missouri was 6-1 with Pribula as the starter — losing only to Alabama, 27-24 — when he suffered the injury against Vanderbilt. His mobility was limited when he returned later in the season.
Pribula was searching for his third school, and 2026 will be his final season of eligibility. He spent two seasons at Penn State before starting for Missouri in 2025.
Sam Leavitt signs with LSU despite Tennessee offer
Despite a late push from Tennessee, it lost out to LSU and Lane Kiffin in the Leavitt sweepstakes.
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Knox News confirmed that Tennessee tried to make one last run at Leavitt with a sizable NIL offer after he committed to LSU. However, LSU announced his signing at 8:26 p.m. ET on Jan. 12.
"Committed to The Boot," LSU posted on its official X account, along with a photo of Leavitt.
Lane Kiffin trolls Tennessee on anniversary of his exit
On Jan. 12, 2010, Lane Kiffin left Tennessee for Southern Cal in a chaotic episode that produced an infamous news conference, a burned mattress and endless stories from a crazy night .
On the anniversary of that night, Kiffin took to social media to troll Tennessee as he tries to put the finishing touches on signing Leavitt. On his X account, Kiffin shared a recap of his exit with the message: "Ironic 16 years ago today."
Sam Leavitt commits to LSU, but Tennessee still in play
Leavitt visited Tennessee, LSU and Kentucky as the No. 1 ranked player in the transfer portal, according to 247Sports . On Jan. 12, Leavitt committed to LSU and Kiffin, according to numerous reports.
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But CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz reported that Tennessee is still trying to flip Leavitt before he signs a contract with LSU.
Knox News confirmed that Tennessee is still trying to make one last run at Leavitt. But it appears that Leavitt is solidly committed to LSU albeit not signed yet.
Leavitt has completed 61% of his passes for 4,652 yards, 36 TDs and 11 interceptions in his career. And he has rushed for 816 yards and 10 TDs. He is a proven passer and winner who started his career at Michigan State and played the last two seasons at Arizona State .
Beau Pribula is front-runner to be Tennessee quarterback in 2026
Tennessee hosted Pribula on a visit. And he appears to be the favorite for the Vols after Leavitt committed to LSU.
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In some ways, Pribula fits the mold of other quarterbacks who've had success under coach Josh Heupel.
Pribula was under-recruited. The 6-foot-2, 212-pounder was a three-star recruit coming out of high school in York, Pennsylvania. And he is an accurate passer who has mobility as a runner.
Pribula completed 67.4% of his passes for 1,941 yards, 11 TDs and nine interceptions in 10 games for the Tigers in 2025. He rushed for 297 yards and six TDs, and he missed two games with a dislocated ankle injury.
Missouri had a 6-1 record with Pribula as the starter — losing only to Alabama, 27-24 — when he suffered the injury against Vanderbilt. His mobility was limited when he returned later in the season.
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Pribula is searching for his third school, and 2026 will be his final season of eligibility. He spent two seasons at Penn State and then started for Missouri in 2025.
Dylan Raiola 's Oregon commitment narrowed Tennessee competition
Tennessee never aggressively recruited Dylan Raiola, but his commitment to Oregon on Jan. 12 had a domino effect on the Vols' quarterback search.
Raiola announced he will transfer from Nebraska to Oregon. That left only three of the top 25 quarterbacks in the transfer portal without a new team, according to 247Sports rankings: Leavitt, Pribula and Southern Cal's Husan Longstreet .
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Tennessee hosted Leavitt and Pribula. The Vols have shown no interest in Longstreet, and for good reason. Longstreet was a five-star recruit in the 2025 class. UT needs a veteran quarterback to go with George MacIntyre , who will be a redshirt freshman in the 2026 season, and Faizon Brandon, a five-star recruit enrolling in January.
Joey Aguilar trying for a Hail Mary in court to return in 2026
Aguilar has a glimmer of hope to return in the 2026 season. But that possibility is fading fast.
Aguilar hopes for an NCAA waiver to grant him an additional season of eligibility. A federal judge has scheduled a Jan. 12 conference call with NCAA attorneys and lawyers representing Aguilar and other players, according to court records obtained by Knox News.
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The reason for the meeting is unknown, but it's part of Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia's federal lawsuit against the NCAA that challenges the association's eligibility rules involving former junior college players. Aguilar is among the plaintiffs hoping for the court to ultimately strike down those NCAA rules.
There's no indication that the meeting will lead to a quick resolution for Aguilar.
Tennessee offered Ty Simpson $4 million to choose Vols over NFL, per report
Simpson may be headed to the NFL, but it's not because he didn't have suitors in college football.
Simpson, who started for Alabama during the 2025 season, declared for the 2026 NFL Draft on Jan. 7.
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A source close to Simpson told The Tuscaloosa News on Jan. 11 that Miami offered him $6.5 million to play for the Hurricanes in 2026. That would have made him the highest-paid player in college football.
Tennessee and Ole Miss each offered Simpson $4 million, the newspaper reported through the same source.
Simpson is a Tennessee native from Martin, where he won a TSSAA state championship his senior season at Westview in West Tennessee.
Simpson's base salary at Alabama was $400,000, the newspaper reported. That doubled to $800,000 with incentives.
Tuscaloosa News' Colin Gay and Tennessean's Tom Kreager contributed to this report. Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com . X, formerly known as Twitter @AdamSparks . Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe .
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football QB news on Beau Pribula, Sam Leavitt, Joey Aguilar
