Tennessee’s quarterback battle was officially on the very second that Joey Aguilar’s appeal for another season of eligibility was struck down in a Knoxville courtroom. Josh Heupel went after a couple of options in the transfer portal, but ultimately was priced out of any sort of solution.
That result left us with something we haven’t really seen in several seasons — a true quarterback battle. George MacIntyre was the assumed favorite, entering his second season in the program with a 5-star billing.
However, the early word out of spring camp was that he and true freshman Faizon Brandon — another 5-star passer — were much more on equal ground than anyone initially thought.
As camp went on, that chatter picked up. From rumored practices to scrimmage performances, Brandon quickly emerged with a narrative that he had a true shot. By the end of camp, Brandon was considered the favorite to win the job by many close to the program.
This week the gambling markets have picked up on that. BetOnline had Brandon -150 to win the job over MacIntyre earlier this week. As of Friday that number had moved all the way out to -200.
Brandon, the No. 2 overall player in the class of 2026, is coming off a state title in North Carolina. He arrived on campus shortly after, getting acclimated to Josh Heupel’s offense. The 6-3, 200 pound quarterback clearly made a quick impression, while MacIntyre seemed to struggle for a second-year player.
“For a true freshman getting here in January, seven weeks of offseason, what we did, and then hitting the ground in spring ball, through today, he’s been really sound in what he’s done — I think in the pass game, certainly,” Heupel said back in the spring. “There’s a lot on our quarterbacks in the run game, too, and that’s an area that, at times, can be the hardest part for our quarterbacks. But he’s continued to progress in that.
“There’s still a lot left for him and everybody in that room for us to be what we need to. But, as a true freshman, certainly pleased with what he’s done up until this point.”
This battle is far from over. A summer of work is ahead of both, while fall camp looms in August. Those first couple of weeks will more than likely solidify this decision one way or another, but it sure seems like Brandon has all the momentum right now.
