Faizon Brandon’s path to Tennessee’s starting quarterback job took a sharp turn once Joey Aguilar’s extra-year push was denied.
Before that, the five-star freshman admitted he spent the opening stretch of his Tennessee career not really knowing what his first season would look like. He didn’t arrive in Knoxville until January, more than 17 months after committing to the Vols in August 2024 ahead of his junior season at Grimsley High School. For a few weeks in January and February, the picture seemed to include Aguilar returning for 2025, which would have left Brandon fighting second-year quarterback George MacIntyre for the backup role.
Then the opening changed.
With Aguilar’s legal bid for an additional season of eligibility turned down, Brandon said he understood the chance sitting in front of him and ramped up his push for the job.
“I would really say after the whole Joey thing,” Brandon said at Tennessee’s preseason media day. “I didn’t really know what was going to happen. I was planning on coming here and working hard regardless, but after I’d seen that he didn’t get his extra year, like I would say it just made me want to work even more harder, knowing that it’s like a quarterback battle now.”
Six months later, Tennessee has settled on Brandon as the answer.
The Vols announced Monday that he will be their starting quarterback, making him the first true freshman quarterback to start a season opener for Tennessee since 2004.
Here’s how he did it:
In Other News...
Tennessee Fans Need To Know Neylands New Game Day Plan
The University of Tennessee at Knoxville is rolling out a new traffic and parking setup around Neyland Stadium this fall, aiming to make football game days run a little smoother and a little safer. Fans who already have parking passes will be directed along designated routes and can also use shuttle options, while those without passes are being steered toward downtown parking and shuttle service instead of driving straight into the stadium area.
For Volunteers fans, the bigger change may be the amount of planning now required before kickoff. Several roads will be closed on game days, and the university is increasing police presence to help manage the flow of traffic around the stadium. It is the kind of behind-the-scenes adjustment that can make a long Saturday feel less chaotic, even if it means a different routine for anyone used to the old Neyland approach. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Is Finally Taking On Neylands Biggest Gameday Frustration
For years, one of the most familiar complaints around Neyland Stadium has had nothing to do with what happens between the lines. Tennessee Athletics, working with local partners, has now developed and tested new gameday traffic patterns that are set to go into place beginning with the 2026 football season opener, a move designed to make the trip to and from South Knoxville feel a lot less like a test of patience.
The plan spells out designated routes for fans with parking passes and gives guidance for those without them, while police and consultants will help manage traffic more aggressively on the back end to improve departures after events. It is the kind of behind-the-scenes fix that usually only gets noticed when it works, but for a stadium experience as big as Neylands, smoothing out the bottlenecks could end up mattering as much to fans as anything on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Freshman Gabriel Osenda Is Giving Vols Hope And A New Worry
Gabriel Osenda arrived in Knoxville in January and has spent preseason doing the kind of work that gets a young offensive tackle noticed quickly. The Tennessee freshman has been taking reps at both left and right tackle, and line coach Glen Elarbee has already put him in the same conversation as current starter Jesse Perry, which tells you how seriously the staff views his long-term upside.
The flip side is the part Tennessee has to watch closely. Osenda recently dealt with a lower-body injury severe enough to leave him in a walking boot and on crutches after the Vols first scrimmage, a reminder that promising linemen can go from intriguing depth piece to roster concern in a hurry. For Tennessee, the hope is obvious - a young tackle who could push for a starting job down the line - but so is the worry about how much time he can spend on the practice field between now and the opener. [Read more 🡒]