Tennessee QB Competition: Five-Star Freshman Faizon Brandon vs. Redshirt Freshman George MacIntyre

Sources have told CBS Sports it is increasingly likely that five-star true freshman Faizon Brandon could start at quarterback for Tennessee on opening day. Brandon turned 18 on Monday. The North Carolina native measures 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds and was rated the third-best overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting class by 247Sports.

Tennessee's previous starting quarterback was a 24-year-old who had already started at the college level for multiple seasons. Brandon ranks as the second-highest quarterback recruit the Vols have signed in the modern recruiting era, behind only Nico Iamaleava, the No.

Brandon is competing with redshirt freshman George MacIntyre. The competition is expected to continue into fall camp, though sources said Brandon has gained momentum heading into the summer. "George operated better overall during the spring, but physically, Faizon's really gifted," a source said.

Brandon has added quality weight since arriving in Knoxville, and sources described his mental makeup as advanced for an 18-year-old. "This kid's got moxie," a source said. " Brandon faced a defense coordinated by Jim Knowles during spring practice.

Knowles previously coached at Penn State, Ohio State and Oklahoma State and has led top-15 defenses nationally in four of the last six seasons. "I think he's going to be the real deal," a source said of Brandon. Sources noted Brandon showed confidence, the ability to read defenses and the capacity to recover from mistakes while making several throws that impressed evaluators.

Tennessee opens the season against Furman, Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State before facing Texas on September 26. Two of the first three games are against non-Power Four opponents.