Tennessee’s quarterback competition is set to take center stage again, and freshman Faizon Brandon is already in the middle of it.
Brandon met with the media on Tuesday afternoon during the Vols’ in-house media day, one day before Tennessee opens its first official fall camp practice on Wednesday morning. The work stretches across the month, and Brandon said he was ready for the next step after a summer spent waiting for camp to return.
The 19-minute session gave Brandon a chance to address the early buildup to his first college season. He spoke about the quarterback battle, his teammates, XXX, and more as Tennessee gets rolling into camp.
At 6-foot-3, Brandon arrived in Knoxville with a heavyweight recruiting résumé. He was a five-star prospect in the 2026 class, ranked by 247Sports as the No. 3 player in the country, the No. 3 quarterback in the class, and the No. 1 player from North Carolina. He was also Tennessee’s top-rated signee in the cycle.
That quarterback race remains one of the biggest storylines of the offseason. Redshirt freshman George MacIntyre, true freshman Faizon Brandon, and Colorado transfer Ryan Staub all took part in spring camp, and Josh Heupel chose to give the group time over the summer to absorb the coaching points before camp resumed. Now the competition is back on as the Vols begin work on Wednesday.
There’s plenty of change elsewhere, too. Tennessee enters camp with a revamped defensive staff led by coordinator Jim Knowles, along with a wave of new players arriving through the transfer portal. How quickly the players and coaches adjust to Knowles’ scheme is one of the key questions hanging over the team.
Rocky Top Insider will provide Tennessee fans with practice reports, highlight videos, press conference interviews from coaches and players, analysis, and other in-conference news throughout camp. The site will post practice reports, highlights, and interviews whenever there is a media showing during the month.
In Other News...
Josh Heupel Blasts Arion Carter Fallout Tennessee Fans Will Hate
Arion Carters situation has become the kind of offseason headache Tennessee would rather do without. The linebacker was suspended by the NCAA after accepting a $427 flight during the pre-NFL draft process, then repaid the money once he decided to return to school, but the punishment still landed, leaving him unavailable for two games this season.
Josh Heupel did not hide where he stands on it. The Tennessee coach publicly backed Carters character and his choice to come back to Knoxville, while taking aim at the NCAAs decision in a way that showed just how irritated the program is by the fallout. For a defense that could use Carter early, the frustration is obvious, and the Vols now have to wait while the suspension runs its course. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee's Secondary Just Took A Tough Hit Before Jim Knowles' Debut
Tennessees secondary took an early blow before Jim Knowles even settles into his new role, with cornerback Jadais Richard set to miss the 2026 season because of a season-ending injury, according to Adam Sparks of Knox News. Richard arrived as a transfer from Miami and brought a reputation for versatility in the defensive backfield, but injuries have already interrupted his career enough to make his availability a central concern for the Volunteers.
His absence matters because Tennessee had been counting on a reworked group in the back end to give Knowles something to build around. After an offseason of portal additions and returning pieces, the expectation was that the rotation at corner would have more depth and more answers, but now the room looks thinner and the pressure on the rest of the secondary rises before the new system even gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]