Tennessee’s quarterback picture against Alabama got a little clearer Thursday morning, but not entirely settled.
Sophomore George MacIntyre is expected to start again for the Vols after also getting the nod at Arkansas, while freshman Faizon Brandon remains listed as questionable on the latest availability report. Brandon carried the same designation on Wednesday, so his status hasn’t changed heading into kickoff.
Brandon has handled the bulk of Tennessee’s season at quarterback, completing 60.4% of his passes for 697 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception. He opened the year as the starter for the first five games before being replaced by MacIntyre just before halftime against Auburn.
MacIntyre’s first career start came in Tennessee’s road win at Arkansas, where he went 18-of-29 for 247 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He was sacked twice and also lost a fumble in that game.
After the Arkansas performance, Tennessee coach Josh Heupel had praise for his quarterback’s decision-making, saying, “I thought he was decisive with the football,” Heupel said on MacIntyre. “He was going to the right spot and made some plays.
Did some things inside of the pocket that were really positive. The third down, makes a guy miss, keeps his eyes down the football field.
“Collectively, as a group, we got to do a better job taking care of the football. We got to play smarter and not make it more difficult on ourselves, pre-snap penalties or whatever it might be. So a lot to clean up, collectively, as a group, but (MacIntyre) did a good job.”
Tennessee enters Saturday as a home underdog. FanDuel listed Alabama as an 8.5-point favorite Tuesday afternoon, with the Tide at -365 on the money line and the Vols at +285.
Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
The road team hasn’t won this rivalry in Tuscaloosa since 2020, and Alabama’s recent trips to Tennessee have gone the Vols’ way. Tennessee beat a Nick Saban-led Alabama team in 2022 in a shootout, then beat Kalen DeBoer’s team again in 2024.
Still, Alabama holds the series edge as the road team, 27-22-1. DeBoer is 1-1 in the matchup, with the loss in 2024 and a home win in 2025.
The broadcast crew for Saturday’s game will be Sean McDonough on play-by-play, Greg McElroy on analysis and Katie George reporting from the sideline.
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For Tennessee, that formula matters because it can do more than just keep the chains moving. It can also keep Alabamas offense on the sideline long enough for the Volunteers defensive front to influence the rhythm of the game, which is where Saban sees the real challenge for the Tide. If Tennessees defense continues to hold up the way it has this season, Neyland could turn into a very uncomfortable place for a team that expects to dictate the pace. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Heads Into Alabama With One Big QB Question
Sophomore George MacIntyre is in line to make another start for Tennessee when the Vols head into their rivalry game against Alabama, giving Josh Heupels offense a familiar face as it tries to keep its rhythm in one of the SECs most demanding environments. Heupel had plenty to like from MacIntyre in his first career start at Arkansas, where the young quarterback showed the kind of decisiveness and playmaking that can steady an offense even in a pressure-packed spot.
The bigger question now is what Tennessee gets behind him, and whether freshman Faizon Brandon will be available after being removed from the latest injury report. His status still leaves a layer of uncertainty around the quarterback room heading into a game where every snap matters, and Tennessee would obviously rather have more depth than fewer answers when it meets Alabama. [Read more 🡒]
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For the Volunteers, it is the sort of matchup that can shape the rest of the season in one afternoon. Alabama is the favorite on paper, but the road test is steep enough to put real stress on a team trying to keep its footing in the College Football Playoff race, and Tennessee has every reason to believe this is the kind of game that can expose a favorite if it is not ready from the opening series. [Read more 🡒]