The Tennessee Volunteers have reportedly named true freshman Faizon Brandon their starting quarterback, according to On3's Pete Nakos and Chris Low. Faizon was a five-star prospect in the 2026 recruiting class and beat out redshirt freshman George MacIntyre for the job.
MacIntyre entered the offseason as the favorite because of his experience in the system, but Brandon won the battle in spring practice, and the freshman solidified himself as the starting quarterback with his performance in Tennessee's two scrimmages.
Brandon was ranked as the No. 10 overall player and No. 3 quarterback in the On3 industry rating. He was also the No. 1 player from North Carolina.
He went 35-1 as a starter at Grimsley High School and won back-to-back state championships
his junior and senior years, with his only loss coming in the playoffs as a sophomore in 2023. He finished his high school career completing 71.4% of his passes for 7,490 yards, 90 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He battled an injury as a senior and was limited to just nine games, attempting just 44 passes.
The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder is described as a "physically impressive true freshman dual-threat quarterback" on Tennessee's online roster, and his rushing ability was an important part of his game in high school. He rushed for 1,494 yards and 24 touchdowns during his high school career, averaging 6.9 yards per carry.
Brandon will have some proven players around him on offense. Running back DeSean Bishop and offensive linemen David Sanders Jr. and Wendell Moe Jr. all enter the season on the 2026 Preseason Coaches All-SEC Third Team. Wide receivers Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley are also back to serve as proven pass-catchers.
The Volunteers will start the season against Furman at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 5. The game is set to start at 3:30 p.m. ET and be on ESPN+.
NEW: Tennessee has named true freshman 5-star Faizon Brandon its starting QB, @PeteNakos and @Clowfb report🍊https://t.co/FtXVilzYrK pic.twitter.com/ILRA8RpduP
— On3 (@On3) August 24, 2026
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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Tennessee names Faizon Brandon starting quarterback
