Faizon Brandon is already stacking up SEC hardware.
For the second week in a row, Tennessee’s freshman quarterback has been named SEC Freshman of the Week, this time for his performance in the Vols’ 45-24 road win at Georgia Tech. Brandon also took home the award after Tennessee’s Week One win against Furman.
Against Georgia Tech on Saturday, Brandon went 10-of-21 passing for 148 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also added five carries for 22 yards and helped Tennessee move the chains on key third downs.
After the game, Josh Heupel praised the way the young quarterback managed the moment, even if the numbers didn’t jump off the page.
“The stat sheet is not going to be elite,” Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said about Brandon after the game. “I actually really like the way he played the game. I thought he was composed, he handled himself in situational football pretty well.
“First game on the road, 18 years old, handled himself well, took care of (the ball). Scrambled, made some plays.
There’s a couple things that he’s going to learn from and get better from, but all in all, really good. He had a great look, demeanor.
He’s been consistent in that way.”
Tennessee has now collected 53 SEC weekly honors since Heupel took over in 2021, and 13 of those have gone to freshmen.
The league’s Week Two honors also went to a crowded group of winners. Texas quarterback Arch Manning and Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons shared Co-Offensive Player of the Week, while Alabama linebackers Caleb Woodson and Luke Metz split Co-Defensive Player of the Week.
Florida’s Vernell Brown III and South Carolina’s Vicari Swain shared Co-Special Teams Player of the Week. Mississippi State center Canon Boone and Texas tackle Trevor Goosby were the Co-Offensive Linemen of the Week, and Alabama’s Devan Thompkins and Missouri’s Daeden Hopkins split Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week.
In Other News...
Faizon Brandon Gets A Massive Tennessee Test Sooner Than Anyone Expected
The SEC opener in Knoxville arrives with a little more intrigue than Tennessee probably expected this early, and it starts with the spotlight on Faizon Brandon. The true freshman has stepped into the biggest job on the field for a Volunteers team that is already 2-0, and now he gets a noon kickoff on ABC in Neyland Stadium against Texas, another undefeated team with its own freshman quarterback story line in Arch Manning.
September 26 will be Brandons first real crash course in what SEC life looks like when the stakes and the stage both jump at once. Tennessee does not have the luxury of easing him into the league schedule, and Texas brings the kind of early test that can expose young quarterbacks quickly, especially in a matchup that will set the tone for both teams before the rest of the conference slate really takes hold. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Defense Has The Talent But One Issue Still Lingers
There is plenty to like about Tennessees defense on paper, and Amare Campbell sounded like a player who can see the ceiling as clearly as anyone in the room. The linebacker pointed to the groups talent, leadership and edge, while also crediting Arion Carter for bringing energy and helping set the tone. He also noted how the Volunteers have leaned into a four-linebacker package and how much internal competition has sharpened that room.
Still, Campbells bigger point was that the Vols have to clean up the details before the talent really starts showing up on Saturdays. He emphasized consistent execution, better technique and fewer penalties, and said the challenge has been carrying practice intensity into game action. It is the kind of issue Tennessee can live with in August, but one that becomes a lot harder to ignore once the season starts to settle in. [Read more 🡒]
One Hall Of Fame Voter Sees Tennessee Very Differently Right Now
Tennessees early-season win over Georgia Tech helped the Volunteers land at No. 14 in the latest FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll, a weekly ranking that comes from FWAA writers and College Football Hall of Fame inductees. Released after Week 2 of the 2026 college football season, the poll offers another snapshot of how the sports insiders are sizing up the first stretch of the year, and Tennessee has clearly made an impression.
The ranking also gives the Vols a familiar measuring-stick moment, because the group at the top remains Texas at No. 1. For Tennessee, the bigger question now is whether that early recognition turns into something more lasting as the season settles in, with the poll serving as one more sign that the win over Georgia Tech may have mattered beyond the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]