We still don’t officially know who the Tennessee Vols’ starting quarterback will be in 2026, but it’s feeling increasingly likely that it’ll be true freshman Faizon Brandon.

The former five-star recruit reportedly has the momentum in the starting quarterback battle over redshirt freshman George MacIntyre entering the summer months.

MacIntyre, however, is still very much in the battle.

“Faizon Brandon, for a true freshman, had a really good spring,” said VolQuest’s Austin Price last month. “Was he perfect? No, not by any stretch. But did he do enough to go, ‘Whoa, look at this guy?’ Absolutely. Which is why there is momentum there for him heading into the summer months… Both guys are going to continue to battle it out, and we’ll see where things go over the next few months.”

Anonymous source drops very encouraging quote about Faizon Brandon

CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz and Chris Hummer reported on Tuesday that “it’s clear that Brandon has momentum heading into the summer.”

Zenitz and Hummer also included a couple of quotes from anonymous source in their report, and one of those quotes really stood out to me.

“This kid’s got moxie,” said the source to CBS Sports. “He’s got the ability obviously, but he’s also got that moxie, personality and confidence.”

Zenitz and Hummer added that Brandon’s “mental makeup has been described as being very much advanced for someone who just turned 18 on Monday (June 1).”

We’ve seen plenty of quarterbacks with elite physical traits who didn’t pan out for various reasons.

The mental part is what usually separates elite performers from inconsistent performers. If you can’t play with confidence and play free, you don’t stand much of a chance. It’s more than just understanding the game and the scheme (that’s obviously very important, too). It’s the ability to immediately turn the page when mistakes happen. It’s the ability to make your teammates feel confident after they’ve made mistakes. And mostly, it’s the ability to compete in the moment without worrying about outcomes that haven’t happened yet. All of those things are what turn a good quarterback into a superstar quarterback.

We obviously don’t know what the future holds for Brandon, but his track record (he ended his high school career with back-to-back state championships) suggests that great things are in store for him on Rocky Top.