Unless Joey Aguilar is granted an additional season of eligibility, which is still up in the air (and unlikely), the Tennessee Vols will feature a quarterback competition this offseason.

Tennessee added Colorado transfer Ryan Staub to the roster earlier this month, but the competition will mainly be between rising redshirt freshman George MacIntyre and incoming five-star signee Faizon Brandon.

MacIntyre is viewed as the favorite due to his one season of experience in Josh Heupel’s offensive system.

Brandon, however, is viewed by some as more physically ready to play in the SEC, which means this quarterback competition could be far more competitive than anyone expects.

George MacIntyre is the favorite to win Tennessee’s QB battle, but it’s far from a certainty that he will

Despite the fact that Brandon hasn’t even participated in his first Tennessee practice yet, there’s still a realistic chance that he could beat out MacIntyre this spring/fall.

The North Carolina native has won multiple state championships, he’s a natural leader, and he has all the physical tools to be one of the top quarterbacks in the country. The biggest thing holding him back is his inexperience.

MacIntyre, on the other hand, is a savvy quarterback who can make all the throws and he has a good understanding of Heupel’s offense. The biggest question surrounding MacIntyre is his weight (he could stand to add 15 to 20 pounds to his frame).

VolQuest’s Austin Price shared some thoughts on the battle between MacIntyre and Brandon on Tuesday during an appearance on 104.5 The Zone’s Ramon and Will.

“He’s (Faizon Brandon) bringing a championship mindset,” said Price. He’s won multiple state titles. He’s a bigger kid. He’s bigger than George is. Someone asked me the other day how do you handicap this thing? I said that George should be further along mentally, and Faizon’s further along physically — which is weird because Faizon is the one just getting to college.

“But Faizon’s a legit 210 pounds. George is playing catch up on that a little bit. But George has been in the system for a year. I think it’s going to be a really good competition. I think the experience for the year in the offense definitely helps George — probably gives him a slight leg up. But I mean, Faizon is a smart kid, has a good arm and a big frame. Both of them, I feel like, really play the game with a cerebral type approach. I don’t think either one of them gets super high no matter what goes on in the game. They’re very methodical and cerebral in their way of attacking the quarterback position.”

A lot of fans and analysts expected the Vols to add a big-time transfer quarterback this offseason. The Vols made a run at some guys, but ultimately came up short.

The good news, though, is that Tennessee has two exciting options with a ton of upside in MacIntyre and Brandon.

And it sounds like Vols fans will be in for a treat this spring/fall as the competition between those two plays out.

Game on.

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