‘I heard some buzz’ – ESPN analyst shares thoughts on Tennessee’s quarterback situation and a potentially ‘impressive’ option
The Tennessee Vols will have a three-man quarterback competition this spring and fall.
With Joey Aguilar getting denied an injunction that would have allowed him to return to college for one more season, we now know that the Tennessee Vols will have a quarterback competition this spring and fall.
That competition will be between redshirt freshman George MacIntyre, true freshman Faizon Brandon, and Colorado Buffaloes transfer Ryan Staub.
Spring practice is set to get underway for the Vols on March 16. Until then, we can only speculate about who the best option will be for Tennessee in 2026.
ESPN analyst shares thoughts on Tennessee’s quarterback competition
ESPN’s Greg McElroy, a former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback, shared some thoughts Monday during Always College Football on the Vols’ quarterback situation heading into the 2026 season.
McElroy has been known to ruffle the feathers of Vols fans from time to time (but that’s ok, no one wants to hear recycled groupthink over and over), but he’s a smart analyst who has played the game at a high level. Even though some fans don’t love all of his takes, I’ve found him to be insightful, and more accurate than many of his colleagues.
So while I’m not on the same page with McElroy on every take (which, again, is normal), I find his analysis to usually be compelling. Which is why I was intrigued to see what he had to say about Tennessee’s quarterback situation.
McElroy, contrary to many of the narratives from the national media, said that he’s optimistic about Tennessee’s quarterback situation in 2026 while also noting that he heard some buzz last fall that MacIntyre is “really impressive”.
“If you’re Josh Heupel, your (QB) situation is actually quite good,” said McElroy. “Now, with Joey gone, the keys to the Ferrari are sitting there. And you have two young guys that are very, very talented, that are just eager for the opportunity to go in there and get it right. First, you’ve got George MacIntyre, who was a [true] freshman last year. He’s got the length, he’s got the pedigree. He’s been around the game, he grew up in the game.
“Multiple generations of MacIntyres have been involved in college football, and he looks like a guy that really can take that step. I mean, he can throw it very accurately. And I heard some buzz last year coming out of fall camp that this guy is really impressive, like, ‘We really like what we’ve seen so far from MacIntyre.’ He didn’t play a ton — not a ridiculous amount of production, so he’s kind of a blank slate. But there is optimism around the program about what he could eventually be, assuming he can get a little bit bigger, a little bit thicker, and a little bit more physically mature.”
“Then you have a true freshman in Faizon Brandon,” continued McElroy. “And this is where things get really interesting. Because Tennessee fans, you’re about to enter into a quarterback battle that will dominate every sports bar conversation in Knoxville for the next six months. Do you go with the guy that’s been in the system for a year and some change in MacIntyre? Or do you go with the really, really shiny, beautiful new toy in Brandon? Now, history tells us that Josh Heupel does like experience, but he won’t ignore talent, that’s for sure. The problem is, right now, with the portal closed, Heupel can’t go out and get an insurance policy. He’s going to have to go all in on the youth movement.
“Now, my take: I think George MacIntyre is probably the guy to beat right now, but the margin for error in the SEC is zero. So if MacIntyre comes out in Week 1, Week 2, and doesn’t necessarily have the offense firing on all cylinders, then the Faizon Brandon chants, they’re going to start to get loud, right? They’re going to start before the first quarter is over in the first game. It’s a tough spot for young kids — especially when you’re replacing a guy like Joey Aguilar, who the locker room really, really followed and really loved and adores. Tough spot. But I still am very optimistic about what the quarterback situation will look like for Tennessee.”
(It’s worth noting that Tennessee added Colorado transfer Ryan Staub to the roster as a depth option behind MacIntyre and Brandon, but he’s a wildcard as far as how he fits into this competition.)
There are a lot of unknowns surrounding the quarterback position for Tennessee. Most of the national media is leaning into those unknowns when analyzing how the Vols will fare in 2026. McElroy, on the other hand, is choosing to take the optimistic view by looking at the elite talent in the quarterback room for the Vols.
It should be a fun spring and fall for Tennessee fans — there’s a real chance MacIntyre or Brandon could be college football’s next superstar. The talent is certainly there.
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