With the presiding judge failing to reach a ruling in Joey Aguilar's eligibility hearing on Friday, Tennessee football remains in limbo at the QB position.
Court will be closed over the weekend and on Monday for Presidents Day, meaning the earliest a judge's order could arrive is Feb. 16, but likely sometime after that date.
It's clear that if granted eligibility, the Vols would love to bring Aguilar back as their top guy.
However, this does not mean that they've concentrated all resources on the 24-year-old quarterbacks' potential availability.
Throughout this enervating process, Tennessee has prepared and positioned its other quarterbacks to take over for Aguilar if called upon.
Redshirt freshman George MacIntyre should and likely will take over the QB1 spot if the court does not rule in Aguilar's favor.
The 6-foot-6 quarterback saw minimal time as the third string option for Tennessee last season but emerged as the likely successor after the departure of former backup Jake Merklinger last month.
MacIntyre's slim sub-200-pound frame has raised concerns for his readiness to take the field in a starting capacity.
But with the Volunteers' offseason hiring of former Indiana Hoosiers Strength and Conditioning coach, Derek Owings, who greatly impacted the development of Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza, MacIntyre will have a top team around him to minimize those concerns before the 2026 season.
If Aguilar must leave, the top spot will not be guaranteed to MacIntyre. He will have the task of beating out true freshman Faizon Brandon and Colorado transfer Ryan Staub for the job.