Now that Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel has decided to start quarterback George MacIntyre against Arkansas, it opens a few possibilities about the Vols’ most visible position.
MacIntyre, a sophomore
and former Brentwood Academy standout, could be a short-term substitute until five-star freshman Faizon Brandon recovers from a shoulder injury.
MacIntyre could have the starting job until he gives Heupel a reason to take it away from him. He could be auditioning for the job in a renewed competition with Brandon.
Or perhaps MacIntyre and Brandon will both play in a two-quarterback system until the situation stabilizes. Answers will come sooner or later.
The 14th-ranked Vols (4-1, 1-1 SEC) play Arkansas (2-3, 0-2) on Oct. 10 (4:15 p.m. ET, SEC Network) in Fayetteville.
On Oct. 6, a source confirmed to Knox News that MacIntyre will make his first career start against the Razorbacks. The source requested anonymity because UT has not made an official announcement.
Heupel’s next scheduled media appearance will be the SEC coaches teleconference on Oct. 7.
Until then, let’s examine a four different ways that this quarterback situation could go.
It could be George MacIntyre’s starting job to lose
Brandon got his shot at the starting job in the first five games. But MacIntyre replaced him in the second quarter against Auburn and sparked the Vols to a 24-14 win on Oct. 3.
That may have been a changing of the guard, meaning that MacIntyre now gets his shot at the starting job.
If MacIntyre plays well against Arkansas, he could retain the job against No. 6 Alabama on Oct. 17 (3:30 p.m.) at Neyland Stadium.
It could remain Faizon Brandon’s job once he’s healthy
If Brandon is injured, Tennessee could hold the starting job open for when he returns. UT has not disclosed the severity of his apparent right shoulder injury.
The SEC student-athlete availability report could shed light on that when it's released around 8:10 p.m. ET on Oct. 7. If Brandon is on the report, it could indicate that Heupel's decision is at least partially related to the freshman's injury status.
Brandon suffered an apparent right shoulder injury in a 20-17 loss to No. 1 Texas on Sept. 26. He was sacked 10 times, took vicious hits, briefly left the game due to the injury and received medical treatment after the game.
At halftime of the Auburn game, Heupel told the ESPN broadcast that Brandon "wasn't feeling 100%." But in the postgame press conference, Heupel downplayed the impact of any discomfort Brandon felt.
Then at his Oct. 5 press conference, Heupel said: "I think (Brandon) realized that he wasn't playing at his best because of, you know, what he was dealing with physically."
If Brandon is out or limited this week, he could get his job back once he’s healthy.
George MacIntyre, Faizon Brandon could share the job
MacIntyre will start against Arkansas, but it’s unclear if Brandon will also be part of the game plan.
MacIntyre was an effective passer against Auburn. He completed 8 of 10 passes for 86 yards after Brandon had zero passing yards on three completions through most of the first half.
Brandon is a skilled runner. He has rushed for 130 yards and three TDs, so he could be an option in the red zone or other situations against Arkansas. However, Brandon was also an effective passer before SEC play. He has completed 60.4% of his passes for 697 yards, seven TDs and one interception on the season.
Heupel doesn’t like to utilize multiple quarterbacks, but this is a unique situation.
Josh Heupel could evaluate quarterbacks game-by-game
Heupel has emphasized the need to focus on one game at a time, and that goes for every position. Don’t be surprised if that’s his rhetoric on the quarterback situation.
It certainly gives Heupel the most flexibility and defers a permanent decision until a later date.
If MacIntyre plays well against Arkansas, he could keep the job. If he plays poorly, it makes it easier to go back to Brandon.
Heupel could re-evaluate the position before the Vols play Alabama, and perhaps that game could clarify the competition.
Heupel doesn’t have to decide his starting quarterback for the remainder of the season. But the position will grow more unstable each week that it’s in flux.
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: What happens to Tennessee QBs Faizon Brandon and George MacIntyre? 4 options
