Tennessee has made its choice at quarterback, and now the spotlight shifts to Faizon Brandon.
Josh Heupel’s decision gives the true freshman the job out of fall camp, and the expectation in Knoxville is obvious: the future looks bright. But with that hype comes a warning label for Vols fans - the patience that didn’t always show up during Nico Iamaleava’s time under center needs to be there from day one for Brandon.
The comparison is hard to miss. Iamaleava arrived with major buzz of his own and, in his lone season as Tennessee’s starter, helped push the Vols into the College Football Playoff.
He turned plenty of heads in 2024. But he also took plenty of heat when throws sailed or when the offense sputtered after losses.
The backlash got especially loud after the road upset at Arkansas, and again after Tennessee’s 42-17 loss to Ohio State in the opening round of the CFP.
That’s the exact trap Tennessee fans need to avoid with Brandon.
He’s only 18 years old and won’t turn 19 until next June, so expecting him to look polished from the jump would be a mistake. There will be rough patches in Year 1.
That’s just part of the deal. Iamaleava’s 2024 line - 2,616 passing yards and 19 touchdowns - would be a perfectly solid benchmark for Brandon, especially if DeSean Bishop can deliver another 1,000-yard season and the ground game helps ease the load.
Brandon’s high school résumé explains why the excitement is so strong. In North Carolina, he piled up nearly 9,000 total passing yards and 114 touchdowns. But the SEC is a different animal, and defenses will be waiting to test him right away.
The Vols’ offensive line will have to give him time to work, and Brandon will need to avoid forcing throws when the play isn’t there. He’s going to make mistakes. The key is what happens around those mistakes - and how Tennessee’s fan base reacts when they show up.
If Brandon gets the room to grow, Tennessee could be looking at something bigger down the line. The payoff may not be immediate, but the article’s message is clear: don’t let freshman growing pains turn into another social media pile-on.
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 🡒]