College Football Coach References Aaron Hernandez In Wild Quote

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Jan 7, 2026 3:20 PM ET

With the College Football Playoff semifinals set to begin this Thursday, one of the coaches still remaining in the field made a wild comment about the late Aaron Hernandez.

Hernandez, a former national champion and All-SEC tight end at Florida, played for the New England Patriots from 2010-2012 before being arrested for the murder of Odin Lloyd. In April 2017, he was found dead in his cell at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Massachusetts. This was just days after he was acquitted of the double homicide of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado.

So why is Hernandez's name being mentioned this week? Well, that's because Ole Miss quarterbacks coach Joe Judge brought him up during Tuesday's media availability.

Judge was asked if this has been the most hectic week of his coaching career. It was a fair question considering assistants for Ole Miss weren't sure if they'd be allowed to coach the Fiesta Bowl against Miami.

Let's just say Judge's response to that question turned plenty of heads.

"My next-door neighbor was Aaron Hernandez," Judge said. "I know this is still more chaotic."

Judge was a special teams assistant for the Patriots when Hernandez was still on the roster.

Ole Miss' Joe Judge on if this is the most hectic week of his career with coaches coming and going during CFP run:

"My nextdoor neighbor was Aaron Hernandez. I know this is still more chaotic."
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) January 7, 2026

Will Ole Miss continue its run?

No team has been a better story in the CFP this year than Ole Miss. Despite losing Lane Kiffin to LSU, the program has taken down Tulane and Georgia in back-to-back games.

Miami will be a formidable opponent for Ole Miss, especially since Mario Cristobal's defensive line is loaded. On the bright side, offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. and running backs coach Kevin Smith will be on the sideline for the Rebels.

Kickoff for the Fiesta Bowl is at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: