Faizon Brandon’s first college start was good enough to earn hardware, and it also gave him a spot in the national conversation.
After his Week 1 showing against Furman in Knoxville, Brandon picked up an SEC Freshman of the Week honor, along with recognition as the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Week and the 247Sports Freshman of the Week. Now he heads into a much tougher setting this weekend, leading Tennessee into a night road game against Georgia Tech.
In David Cobb’s Week 2 QB Power Rankings for CBS Sports, Brandon comes in at No. 41 nationwide. That puts him four spots behind former Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava, one slot behind Memphis QB Marcus Stokes and one place ahead of UTSA’s Owen McCown.
Within the SEC, Brandon checks in as the 11th-highest quarterback. The list ahead of him includes South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers at No.
31, Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed at No. 25, Oklahoma’s John Mateer at No.
22, Florida’s Aaron Philo at No. 19, Alabama’s Keelon Russell at No.
18, Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor at No. 16, Georgia’s Gunner Stockton at No.
12, Texas’ Arch Manning at No. 6, Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss at No. 3 and LSU’s Sam Leavitt at No.
For Tennessee fans, No. 41 probably feels modest after what Brandon just did in his debut. But it’s still early, and Cobb clearly wasn’t shy about shaking up his rankings from Week 1 to Week 2.
Kamario Taylor surged from No. 39 to No. 16, while Marcel Reed slid from No. 14 to No. 25.
A strong night against Georgia Tech could easily send Brandon climbing, maybe even ahead of Iamaleava.
Brandon’s opener was impossible to ignore. He accounted for five total touchdowns, throwing for 226 yards and three scores while going 13-for-17 through the air.
He added 68 rushing yards and two more touchdowns on 10 carries. Yes, it came against Furman, but for a player making his first collegiate appearance, the poise was there.
“I don’t think anything surprised me,” Josh Heupel said about Brandon after the game. “We’re just hoping, or trusting, let me say that, that what you’ve seen on the field (in the preseason), the body of work is going to show up on game day, too. But for a young player, he managed and stayed within himself extremely well, which is the expectation, as well.”
The next test is louder, brighter and less forgiving. Tennessee will be under the lights at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta, where Georgia Tech is trying to avoid an 0-2 start after a heartbreaking loss to Colorado last week. Brandon doesn’t have to carry everything by himself, but Tennessee does need him to stay central to what it wants to do.
“Prepare the right way,” Heupel said of his tasks for Brandon this week. “Empty the tank in your preparation.
That’s understanding what we’re doing. It always comes down to little things.
That’s at home or on the road. On the road, it’s even amplified.
Great communication, control and command of what we’re doing. He’s going to have to make plays, but he’s got to take care of the football, as well.”
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