Tennessee true freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon started the first five games of the season for the Vols before getting benched last weekend against Auburn.

Brandon, who is dealing with a shoulder injury, struggled in a loss to Texas the previous week. After Brandon was ineffective in the first half against Auburn, he was replaced by sophomore George MacIntyre.

MacIntyre will reportedly start at quarterback for the Vols on the road against Arkansas on Saturday.

ESPN still ranks Faizon Brandon among the top freshmen in the country

Despite Brandon’s struggles against Texas and Auburn, the North Carolina native is still ranked among the top freshmen in the nation.

ESPN has Brandon ranked as the No. 8 freshman in college football through the first month of the season.

“Living up to expectations can be difficult for any quarterback, let alone a five-star true freshman,” noted ESPN’s Billy Tucker. “Brandon has mostly looked poised through five starts, tallying 10 touchdowns to one interception with a 60.4% completion rate. He led Tennessee to a road win over Georgia Tech and nearly pulled off another against No. 1 Texas despite getting sacked 10 times. His struggles against Auburn in Week 5, however, led to a midgame benching in favor of George MacIntyre. Still, Brandon showed early glimpses of the talent against elite opponents that helped him rank No. 14 in the 2026 SC Next 300.”

It’s important to remember that Brandon is still just 18 years old — he’s in the infancy of his football career. The former five-star recruit still has unlimited upside. Brandon just needs some reps and some experience.