Josh Heupel has handed the Tennessee quarterback job to a true freshman, and that puts Faizon Brandon in some uncommon company for the Vols.
On Monday morning, Heupel named Brandon the starter for the 2026 season. It will be the first time since 2004 that Tennessee opens a season with a true freshman at quarterback, when Brent Schaefer started the opener against UNLV.
Heupel does have a recent track record with freshmen behind center, though Tennessee fans haven’t seen it in a season-opening setting. His latest example came in the Citrus Bowl against Iowa, when Nico Iamaleava got the start and turned in a sharp performance. He completed 12 of 19 passes for 151 yards, threw one touchdown and no interceptions, and added 27 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries as Tennessee rolled to a 35-0 win.
That was only one game, and it came after Joe Milton had started every regular-season contest, but Heupel showed even more willingness to ride a true freshman at UCF.
In 2019, Dillon Gabriel played in 13 games and started 12, with his only appearance off the bench coming in the season opener. Once he took over, he never really let go.
Gabriel threw for 3,653 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while also running for 78 yards and four more scores. UCF went 9-3 in the regular season, with losses at Pitt, Cincinnati and Tulsa, then finished with a win over Marshall in the Gasparilla Bowl.
Gabriel spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons at UCF before entering the transfer portal. By then, Heupel had already moved on to Tennessee ahead of the 2021 season.
After that, Gabriel played two years at Oklahoma and finished at Oregon before moving on to the NFL. He is now in his second pro season with the Cleveland Browns after being selected 94th overall in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft following a First-Team All-American season.
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 🡒]