We are perhaps in the final days of Tennessee's quarterback competition, so it’s time to wrap up this race.
Is it Faizon Brandon or George MacIntyre? Coach Josh Heupel could be close to announcing his 2026 starter.
Regardless of the winner, these quarterbacks may have exceeded expectations as a duo after a strong preseason practice. Meanwhile, quarterback commitment Kaden Craft said the quiet part out loud about UT's long-term QB plan.
On this podcast episode of "The Volunteer State," beat writer Adam Sparks and columnist John Adams discuss the quarterbacks from every angle.
To hear the full discussion, listen to the 51-minute podcast. Here are a few highlights.
When will Josh Heupel announce Tennessee starting quarterback?
Heupel hasn't said when he will announce his starting quarterback. If he stays true to
recent form, he could name it as early as Sunday, Aug. 23.
That's how it went last season. UT played its final intrasquad scrimmage. Then Heupel informed the quarterbacks about the depth chart and told the team in a meeting. Then UT announced the starter.
In this preseason, UT plays its final intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 22. Heupel has a press conference tentatively scheduled for Monday, Aug. 24, when he could address the quarterback depth chart. Either way, it should obvious internally as the starter gets first-team reps in anticipation of the first game against Furman on Sept. 5 (3:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network+/ESPN+).
Can George MacIntyre close gap with Faizon Brandon?
Sparks and Adams believe that Brandon, the five-star freshman, is ahead in the competition. That's a popular opinion.
But the question is whether MacIntyre could catch up or extend the competition with a strong performance in the final intrasquad scrimmage.
"The popular opinion is that it's going to be Faizon, and I share that opinion," Sparks said. "Maybe the nuance is that I don't think Faizon could lose the job in this scrimmage; however, I think there's a scenario, albeit unlikely, where the competition could be extended if Faizon performs poorly and George performs very well."
They also discussed whether this quarterback competition could've played out differently if MacIntyre had played more as a freshman in 2025. He was 7-of-9 passing for 69 yards. Jake Merklinger, the backup at the time, was 13-of-24 passing for 173 yards and two TDs.
Sparks thinks if MacIntyre had gotten those extra snaps, it could've affected this quarterback competition. Adams wonders if that would've hurt MacIntyre's chances.
To hear that discussion, check out of the podcast.
What happens to Tennessee's backup quarterback?
On Aug. 18, Craft committed to Tennesse in the 2028 class. He's a four-star quarterback from North Carolina who is entering his junior season in high school. He chose UT over Florida, LSU, Michigan, Ole Miss and Oregon.
Craft made a revealing comment to 247Sports about UT's long-term quarterback plan.
"I think it's a perfect situation," Craft said. "That was a big thing for me — their plan — just because, Faizon or George, one of them's going to leave. I mean, they're not going to stay. That's how the game works now. So, I mean, if Faizon plays, he's there for, what, three years? He's a freshman. And then I become a freshman (in 2028). I just sit behind a veteran, and then I'm competing for the spot (the) next year. That's kind of how I look at it, and we've talked about. But I'm excited, for sure."
Heupel acknowledged that reality at SEC Media Days. He was asked, "Do you consider that when you choose (a starting quarterback), you might also lose one?"
Heupel replied: “I think that’s the era of college football that we’re in. And it’s kind of been that way for a while now.”
Sparks and Adams reminisced about the old days of recruiting and how things are more clearcut in current negotiations. To hear that discussion and much more, listen to the podcast.
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: When will Josh Heupel name Tennessee starting quarterback? We size up race
