Tennessee's quarterback of the future is going to get his first start earlier than many may have expected.
On Monday, Aug. 24, Tennessee football announced that true freshman Faizon Brandon had won the battle to be the Volunteers’ starting quarterback in 2026 over George MacIntyre.
Brandon becomes just the first true freshman since 2004 to be named Tennessee's starting quarterback. Brent Schaeffer was the last to do it, getting the nod against UNLV in the season opener.
Here's everything you need to know about Brandon's prolific high school career:
Where did Faizon Brandon go to high school?
Brandon attended Grimsley High School in Greensboro, North Carolina.
After playing in nine games as a freshman, Brandon earned the starting job for the Whirlies as a sophomore, leading them to a 13-1 record.
That season he completed 69% of his passes for 3,026 yards and 36 touchdowns. He also ran for 528 yards and nine touchdowns.
Just ahead of his junior year, Brandon announced his commitment to Tennessee on August 3, 2024.
As a junior in 2024, Brandon led the Whirlies to their first unbeaten season and state championship. He established himself as a five-star prospect, passing for 2,814 yards and 35 touchdowns to go along with 625 rushing yards and nine more touchdowns on the ground.
Brandon was some adversity his senior season as a hand injury early in the year limited him to just six total games. He missed most of the season but returned late in the year to cap off another unbeaten season and state championship run.
In those six games, Brandon threw for 1,116 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also ran for 233 yards and three touchdowns.
For his career, Brandon was 35-1 was a starter passing for 7,490 yards and 90 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,494 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Faizon Brandon recruiting ranking
According to 247Sports, the 6-foot-4, 225-pounder was ranked as the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting cycle and the No. 3 quarterback. He trailed only Houston enrollee Keisean Henderson and Vanderbilt enrollee Jared Curts.
Brandon graded out with a scored of 0.9939, ranking him as the 11th highest commit in Tennessee history at the time and since recruiting rankings were introduced. In terms of quarterbacks, Brandon ranks second — only behind former Tennessee quarterback and current UCLA Bruin Nico Iamaleava.
With Brandon headlining it, Tennessee's 2026 class ranked 11th nationally. He was one of three five-star commitments in the class of 32 alongside Hattiesburg (MS) wide receiver TK Keys and Baylor (Chattanooga, TN) offensive tackle Gabriel Osenda.
Follow Sports Reporter Joe Spears on X at @joe_spears7 or via email: JSpears@usatodayco.com. For additional high school sports coverage, be sure to follow @usatodayhss on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Faizon Brandon named Tennessee football starter. Here's a look at his prep career
