Tennessee’s quarterback race is still set to run into August, but one national insider already has a clear read on where it’s headed.
When the Vols return for fall camp at the beginning of August, the final stretch of the battle will begin between true freshman Faizon Brandon, redshirt-freshman George MacIntyre and Colorado transfer Ryan Staub. Ahead of that return, On3 insider Pete Nakos projected Brandon to emerge as Tennessee’s starter in 2026.
Nakos also picked a few other SEC quarterback battles, including Keelon Russell at Alabama and Blaze Berlowitz over five-star freshman Jared Curtis at Vanderbilt.
Brandon arrived at Tennessee as an early enrollee this spring, and he quickly changed the conversation. MacIntyre had been the popular choice entering spring camp, but Brandon’s strong first impression pushed plenty of predictions in his direction. He appeared ahead of schedule while handling the challenge of learning the Vols’ offense and matching that process with his physical tools.
“I would say learning the offense hasn’t been hard with the tools they gave us,” Brandon said. “You can study on your own, have our own iPad and stuff to look over everything.
So I would say with that it makes it easy. So if you just do your part, studying by yourself and stuff, then it makes it easier to learn the offense.”
A Greensboro, North Carolina, native, Brandon played at Grimsley before arriving in Knoxville. He was rated a five-star prospect and the No. 3 overall recruit in the country by 247, making him the No. 3 quarterback in the class and the top player from North Carolina.
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