Tennessee has settled its quarterback race, and the Vols are turning the offense over to freshman Faizon Brandon.
The No. 20 team in the country picked Brandon to start with less than two weeks left before the season opener against Furman, according to sources who spoke to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. It’s a significant call for a player who arrived with plenty of buzz and won the job by outplaying sophomore George MacIntyre in scrimmages throughout the offseason and fall camp.
Brandon comes in with a heavy resume for a freshman. He was a five-star recruit and the No. 2 quarterback in the 2026 signing class, per 247Sports.
In high school, he led Grimsley (N.C.) to back-to-back state titles in 2024 and 2025 and finished with a 35-1 record as a starter. Over his prep career, he threw 90 touchdown passes against just 10 interceptions, with four of those picks coming as a freshman in a backup role.
There’s no soft landing waiting for him once the opener passes. Brandon will get his first start on Sept. 5 against Furman, then Tennessee heads to Georgia Tech on Sept. 12 before returning home for Kennesaw State on Sept.
- After that, the pressure ramps up fast with No.
5 Texas coming to Knoxville on Sept. 26 for the SEC opener.
And that’s just the start of a brutal run. Tennessee’s schedule includes Auburn, Arkansas, No.
13 Alabama, South Carolina, Kentucky, No. 8 Texas A&M, No.
11 LSU and Vanderbilt after that. The Vols face four teams ranked in the top 15 of the preseason AP poll, and even some of the games that look more manageable - Arkansas and South Carolina - come on the road.
That matters because Tennessee has already been burned in those spots. The 2022 Volunteers were upset by South Carolina, and the 2024 College Football Playoff team lost at Arkansas.
For a quarterback making his first college start, that’s a steep ask. Tennessee may end up living or dying by how quickly Brandon adjusts.
The one thing working in his favor is the supporting cast around him. On paper, the offense looks built to help a young quarterback settle in.
Tennessee brings back 74% of its offensive line snaps, and that group could be among the best in the nation. David Sanders Jr., an SEC All-Freshman honoree last season, is set to protect the blind side at left tackle, while center Sam Pendleton brings 20 career starts.
The skill talent is there too. Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley both went over 800 receiving yards last season, and five-star freshman TK Keys joins that room in 2026. In the backfield, DeSean Bishop is back after putting up 1,211 yards from scrimmage and 16 touchdowns a year ago.
Overall, Tennessee returns 61% of its offensive snaps from last season, which ranks ninth nationally. That doesn’t erase the challenge of handing the offense to a first-time starter in the middle of a nine-game SEC schedule, but it gives Brandon a real chance to grow into the job.
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Tennessee Scrimmage Put One Key Vols Battle Back In Focus
With fall camp wrapped and a second scrimmage in the books, Tennessee is starting to get a clearer picture of where things stand heading toward the 2026 opener against Furman. The defensive backfield offered one of the days most encouraging signs, with safeties TJ Metcalf and Dejuan Lane both coming up with interceptions while stepping into bigger roles with Edrees Farooq sidelined. It was the kind of camp moment that can matter beyond one practice, especially for a unit still sorting out its depth and responsibilities.
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For Tennessee supporters, Barnetts journey has become one of those long-running pro stories that still carries a little extra interest back home. He has already logged time with the Eagles and Texans before landing in Cleveland, and the Browns are another chance for him to carve out a role on a team that needed help at his position. Even after all these years, he remains one of the more notable Vols in the league, which gives Tennessee fans a reason to keep an eye on Clevelands defense. [Read more 🡒]