ESPN analyst makes odd comparison between Tennessee 2026 5-star commit Faizon Brandon and former Vols QB Nico Iamaleava
The Tennessee Volunteers are in a unique situation at quarterback for the first time in years, with a true three-headed competition shaping up for fall camp after the abrupt transfer by Nico Iamaleava last month. Former UCLA/App State signal caller Joey Aguilar comes in with two years of starting experience and will battle Jake Merklinger […]
The Tennessee Volunteers are in a unique situation at quarterback for the first time in years, with a true three-headed competition shaping up for fall camp after the abrupt transfer by Nico Iamaleava last month. Former UCLA/App State signal caller Joey Aguilar comes in with two years of starting experience and will battle Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre for the starting job.
However, that could all be temporary, as 2026 five-star QB Faizon Brandon is waiting in the wings. Brandon, who committed to Tennessee back in August 2024, appears to be the future at the position for the Vols.
ESPN's team of writers recently took a look at all of their five-star recruits and how they fit in with their new teams. Recruiting analyst Tom Luginbill discussed Brandon and compared him with former Tennessee QBs. His comparison with Nico was, let's say, interesting.
Here's what Luginbill had to say about Brandon:
"The departure of Nico Iamaleava could allow Brandon to battle for the starting job sooner rather than later in a very quarterback-friendly system. Several recent Volunteers quarterbacks have similar stature, athleticism and arm strength. Brandon is more advanced than Hendon Hooker at the same stage and the pair share several traits. Brandon is also much more accurate than Joe Milton. While he lacks Iamaleava's polish at this stage, Brandon throws an exceptional deep ball, which is a requirement in this scheme that loves to attack vertically." – Tom Luginbill, ESPN
I think the analysis regarding Brandon and Hooker and Milton is fair, particularly with Hooker. Physically, all three are tall, athletic specimens with good arm strength. Hooker indeed took time in his career to develop, making a giant leap once he got into Josh Heupel's system after leaving Virginia Tech. His completion percentage rose from 61.1% to 69.6% from his first collegiate season to his last. Milton's accuracy, or lack thereof in Knoxville, was, let's say, pretty well documented. No need to go back down that road.
But saying that Brandon "lacks Iamaleava's polish at this stage", that's a bit head scratching to me for a couple of reasons. First, why would a high school junior QB be as polished as an SEC starter? That's kind of an inherent contradiction.
That all being said, looking at Iamaleava's season last year through the scrutiny of a starting SEC quarterback, his game really wasn't all that polished at all in 2024. Sure, the Tennessee coaching staff talked plenty before about how he appeared to be mature beyond his years in preparation, but between the lines in SEC play last year, the passing game was still a mess. Between hesitancy in releasing the ball, overthrows/misfires, and wide receivers who didn't do their part to get open often enough, there was plenty of blame to go around with the fizzling passing game, but calling Nico's play as "polished" in 2024 is one that I don't get.
Tennessee very well could have a star in the making on campus in 2026 in Brandon, regardless of how "polished" anyone else in that QB room is at that point. We'll see this fall if Merklinger or MacIntyre (Aguilar only has one year of eligibility left) can stake their own claim to the starting job for years to come.
