David Sanders Jr. doesn’t sound like a player talking about a freshman quarterback. He sounds like a lineman talking about the guy already steering the offense.
Ahead of Tennessee’s matchup with Kennesaw State, Sanders had plenty of praise for Faizon Brandon, saying the young quarterback has already won over the Volunteers’ offensive line with the way he carries himself in the huddle. The confidence, Sanders said, showed up clearly when Tennessee ran into trouble on the road against Georgia Tech.
“He just never flinched,” Sanders said. “His voice was demanding in the huddle, and we could hear him even throughout the crowd noise.”
That kind of presence matters in an offense built around a young quarterback. Brandon’s steadiness after Georgia Tech erased Tennessee’s early momentum with a blocked punt stood out to Sanders, who said the freshman kept doing the things that matter most: working through his reads, staying in sync with the line and trusting the offense around him.
“He wasn’t making bad decisions,” Sanders said. “He was going through his reads, trusting the process and communicating with the O-line.”
Sanders described Brandon as more than someone who simply relays the play call. He said the quarterback makes eye contact, speaks with conviction and gives his teammates a lift when the moment gets big. One example came before a fourth-and-short snap.
“He’s like, ‘Let’s go. Let’s get this.
It’s fourth-and-two. We’re going to go get it,’” Sanders recalled.
That sort of command can steady an offense, especially when it comes from the youngest player in the huddle. Sanders said Brandon’s communication has helped build trust between quarterback and line, too.
Instead of immediately bailing when pressure starts to show, Brandon gives his protection time to sort out blitzes and finish its assignments. Sanders also said the quarterback talks with the running backs about protection checks before the snap.
“He trusts us to pick up the blitzes,” Sanders said. “We just let him do his job.”
And when things do break down, Brandon’s mobility gives Tennessee another escape hatch. Sanders said that can put pressure on offensive tackles, who have to know when to let go of blocks to avoid a holding penalty. He joked that sometimes all he sees is No. 11 flying past him.
Even with the positives, Sanders made it clear Tennessee’s offensive line still has room to grow. The Volunteers have put up strong rushing numbers, but he believes the backs have occasionally covered for missed assignments up front. In his view, the issue has not been effort or toughness.
“Everybody’s playing with a lot of physicality,” Sanders said. “Trying to finish blocks, trying to play with effort. It’s just all the mental game right now.”
Sanders said the group can reach another level once all five linemen start functioning as one unit. He included himself in that assessment, too, noting that he felt he fell short of his own standard in Tennessee’s opener before putting in a sharper week of practice and improving in the second game.
For now, the message is straightforward: the line wants to clean up the mental mistakes, keep bringing physicality and protect its freshman quarterback. Brandon, for his part, is already showing he can take charge when the pressure rises.
In Other News...
Tennessee's Loaded Offense Could Have One More Freshman Problem Soon
Tennessees offense already has the look of a unit built to stay dangerous for a while, but ESPN thinks the Vols may not be done adding playmakers to the picture. The latest name to watch is five-star running back recruit David Gabriel-Georges, who checks in at No. 13 overall in the SC Next ESPN 300 and arrives with the kind of power, balance and explosiveness that can make a freshman hard to keep off the field.
For Tennessee, the appeal goes beyond simply landing another elite recruit. Gabriel-Georges has the traits to contribute early and eventually grow into a featured role, which matters for an offense that could be looking ahead to a post-2026 backfield if DeSean Bishop moves on to the NFL. Even in a loaded room, the Vols have a chance to turn a highly rated newcomer into the next major piece of the attack. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee-Texas Just Added More Intrigue For Frustrated Vols Fans
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For fans already frustrated by the timing, the attention only added another layer to a game that already carries plenty of weight on the schedule. Stephen A. Smith raised the possibility the kickoff could still be changed, leaving Tennessee supporters with one more wrinkle to monitor as the date draws closer and the buildup to one of the seasons biggest home games keeps growing. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Fans Have One Reason To Expect A Stress-Free Saturday
Knox News took a different route in previewing Tennessees upcoming game against Kennesaw State, running 100 simulations of the matchup on EA Sports College Football 27. The results pointed to what Vols fans probably hope to see on a fall Saturday: Tennessee controlling the game early and often, with the model projecting an average score around 51-17 and plenty of room for the offense to settle in.
The simulations leaned heavily toward a comfortable finish for Tennessee, which fits the broader sense that this is a game the Vols should handle without much drama. There were statistical trends worth watching in the breakdown, along with reporter notes on how the matchup could play out, but the larger takeaway was hard to miss: if the real game follows the video-game script, Tennessee should spend most of the afternoon in command. [Read more 🡒]