With uncertainty surrounding Joey Aguilar’s 2026 status, Josh Heupel fulfilled Tennessee’s quarterback requirement, landing a commitment from Colorado transfer Ryan Staub on Sunday. Before Staub leaves for the Volunteers, he had his one last visit to Deion Sanders to have his blessings for the new journey.

Deion Sanders on Monday, January 19, posted a picture of himself and Staub inside the Colorado Buffaloes’ facilities, writing a farewell note, “I grabbed this photo from 1 of my favorite players [who] stopped by to see me before he left town to go continue his college career at (Tennessee). Love ya, man! Go do yo Thang.”

Ryan Staub has always been on the good side of Sanders throughout his three years at Boulder. Coach Prime has always praised the quarterback for his work ethic and his team efforts as a backup QB.

“You gotta understand, Staub is a lovable dude,” Sanders said in an interview. “Everybody who’s played here previously has reached out to him and congratulated him, or some way or another, tweeted him, or done something to let them know how proud they are. He’s always been a standup guy, no matter who’s starting. He’s always been there in support… Hats off to him because he’s the ultimate teammate.”

Staub spent the last three seasons at Colorado, serving most of his time backing up former Colorado starting QB Shedeur Sanders. He had an opportunity to earn more play time this past season, where Staub threw for a career-high 427 yards and three touchdowns.

His most notable performance for the Buffs came against Delaware this season, where he threw for 158 yards and two touchdowns in a rotational role. This earned him a starting role against the Houston Cougars the following week, but the QB wasn’t able to make better use of it. Staub was intercepted twice against Houston, resulting in a 36-20 loss, turning out to be his lone starting role.

Despite the ups and downs with the Buffs, he was unlikely to compete against the current freshman Julian “JuJu” Lewis, who’s been projected as the starting QB for the next cycle. This forced him to transfer to Tennessee, aiming for a starting role. Yet, the starting role for the Volunteers is not guaranteed.

Ryan Staub’s status as the starting QB at Tennessee

Tennessee’s starting QB this past season, Joey Aguilar, is in the midst of a legal fight for his eligibility in 2026, which has kept the starting quarterback status in the air. If Aguilar didn’t receive an NCAA waiver for an extra year of college eligibility through court proceedings, there’s a fair chance of Ryan Staub starting the game for the Volunteers.

However, he still has to compete with George MacIntyre, who’s been waiting for his opportunity to start, and the five-star incoming freshman Faizon Brandon. Though the depth looks manageable, the lack of experience as a starter and Aguilar’s status need to be watched out for. “There’s a different energy in Knoxville,” Staub said, per GoVols247. “It’s a place I want to be, and I’m excited to get to work here. This coaching staff is awesome. There’s a lot of continuity here, and it’s a great system, and I think it’s a great fit.”

Staub only had 681 yards and four touchdowns passing and one touchdown rushing on the ground throughout his collegiate career. We need to wait and watch if Staub earns the starting role despite various factors.

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