Faizon Brandon’s rise at Tennessee is starting to show up in more than just the hype.
The 5-star quarterback arrived in Knoxville as an early enrollee, and even then, the transition from high school to college didn’t seem to rattle him much. By the time spring ball rolled around, he already looked comfortable. Now, on the eve of fall camp, he looks even different - and a lot stronger.
Director of Football Sports Performance Derek Owings provided a look at the body changes for several Tennessee players, and Brandon stood out. According to Owings, Brandon has added 19.5 pounds of lean mass since arriving at Tennessee. That’s a major development for a quarterback who checked in at 6-4, 200 pounds when he first got to campus.
For Tennessee, that kind of physical growth matters. Brandon was never lacking in talent, but the added size changes the picture.
It shows a player who has embraced the work, bought into the program, and committed himself to getting stronger before the season even begins. You don’t add nearly 20 pounds of lean mass by accident.
The timing is important, too. Brandon enters fall camp in a battle with second-year quarterback George MacIntyre for the starting job.
Brandon was ranked the No. 3 quarterback in the country for the 2026 class and earned 5-star status, so the expectation is obvious. The feeling around him is that he should be the front-runner for Josh Heupel’s offense, though nothing is expected to be settled until at least mid-August.
Tennessee is also hoping this situation plays out differently than the last time Heupel brought in a 5-star quarterback. Nico Iamaleava helped lead the Vols to the College Football Playoff, but he left the program before the ’25 season to return to his hometown of UCLA.
That made for a rough ending, but Joey Aguilar gave Tennessee a lot to enjoy after that. Now the signs are pointing toward Brandon being the next man up. MacIntyre will push hard to keep that from happening, but all indications are that Brandon is the one most likely to take the first snap in the season opener against Furman.
If that’s how it plays out, the spotlight will be immediate. Brandon would be stepping in as a true freshman, and every snap would be watched closely.
There will be growing pains, but the way he has reshaped his body says plenty about where he is right now. He looks ready for the job.
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Josh Richardson's Next Chapter Will Hit Tennessee Fans Hard
Josh Richardsons path from Knoxville to the NBA always felt like one of those Tennessee success stories that kept adding chapters long after his college days ended. A first-team All-SEC selection who helped push the Vols to a Sweet 16, Richardson turned that foundation into a 10-year pro career, moving through six NBA teams after being drafted in 2015 and eventually continuing his career overseas.
Now his next move brings the story back to where it started for Tennessee fans, who watched him grow into a reliable, versatile guard and then follow him across the league. Richardsons final professional stop came with Basket Zaragoza in Spain, and his career leaves behind the kind of rsum that still resonates in Knoxville, even as the details of what comes next remain to be written. [Read more 🡒]
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Instead, the momentum stopped after an injury in a 7-on-7 practice, when Brazzell was carted off the field and the team initially explored a non-surgical route. A second opinion changed the course, and now the Panthers have to move forward without one of their most intriguing young additions, while Brazzell faces a long recovery before he gets another chance to build on that early promise. [Read more 🡒]
Derek Owings Is Already Changing Tennessee In One Noticeable Way
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The bigger challenge now is making those habits stick in an era when players have more freedom to eat away from the facility, especially with NIL money in the mix. Tennessees staff is watching meals closely and spending more time educating athletes about what they put in their bodies, because the old model of controlling everything inside the building does not work the same way anymore. Owings is trying to shape the program from the inside out, and the early signs suggest the changes are already starting to show up in the way players look and carry themselves. [Read more 🡒]