One year after its starting quarterback was a 24-year-old who’d already been a college starter for multiple seasons prior to last year, there’s a real chance that Tennessee may enter this season with an 18-year-old in his first season at the college level.
That player: Five-star true freshman Faizon Brandon.
It’s continued to look increasingly likely these last couple of months that Brandon could end up being a Day 1 starter for the Vols, sources have told CBS Sports.
SEC post-spring intel: Inside the key QB battles, breakout players, more buzz from across the league
Chris Hummer
While Brandon’s competition with redshirt freshman George MacIntyre will continue into fall camp, it’s clear that Brandon has momentum heading into the summer.
“George operated better (overall) during the spring, but physically, Faizon’s really gifted,” a source stated.
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Brandon was rated as the third-best overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting class per 247Sports. The North Carolina native ranks as the second-highest QB recruit the Vols have landed in the modern recruiting era, behind only Class of 2023 No. 1 overall recruit Nico Iamaleava.
It’s not just him being gifted in terms of arm talent, though.
Brandon has added a good amount of quality weight since first arriving in Knoxville, per sources. Also, his mental makeup has been described as being very much advanced for someone who just turned 18 on Monday.
“This kid’s got moxie,” a source stated. “He’s got the ability obviously, but he’s also got that moxie, personality and confidence.”
It also made an impression how he handled going against a defense this spring led by new Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who’s widely regarded in the college football coaching space as one of the nation’s premier defensive coordinators. Knowles, who previously worked at Penn State, Ohio State and Oklahoma State, has led defenses ranked in the top 15 nationally four of the last six seasons.
While there were naturally ups and downs for Brandon going through his first spring at the college level, some of what impressed sources was his confidence, his ability to dissect things defensively at different points, and his ability to bounce back from mistakes. In addition, sources have stated — going back to the physical component — that he made some throws during the spring and late in spring practice that wowed people internally at Tennessee.
“I think he’s going to be the real deal,” a source stated.
Tennessee opens the season with games vs. Furman, Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State before its SEC opener against Texas Sept. 26.
While there are always growing pains that come along with starting a freshman quarterback, two of the first three games being against non-Power Four opponents is ideal for easing a young QB into a starting role before that first SEC matchup.
Now, it’s just on Brandon to follow up his promising start to the offseason with a productive summer and fall camp in order to go from having momentum in the QB competition to outright locking down the starting spot.
