Tennessee players offer obvious edge that Faizon Brandon brings to Vols’ offense, and it’s impossible to argue with
The Vols have a dynamic young talent taking over their offense.
After a razor-thin battle that took months to play out, Tennessee finally has its starting quarterback for the 2026 season. On Monday morning, Josh Heupel tabbed true freshman Faizon Brandon as his new signal caller over redshirt freshman George MacIntyre. The decision seemed to follow the tea leaves from observers and insiders, who indicated Brandon seemed to hold a very slight lead throughout fall camp and through the two scrimmages.
When asked about the reason for his decision, Heupel talked about how Brandon earned the right to be the starter through executing the position in practice. However, there wasn’t a clear answer regarding what Brandon might have done better or what inherent advantage he brings to the position over McIntyre.
Tyree Weathersby and Jordan Norman point to Brandon’s athleticism as a key separator
That said, two notable Tennessee Vol defenders offered some insight into what might have tipped the scales. Defensive end Tyree Weathersby and LEO Jordan Norman spoke with the media on Monday. They gave a nod to Brandon’s athleticism and his ability to extend plays as perhaps an advantage he brings to the position.
“I think either way they would have went, we would have been fine, but I would say his athletic ability is definitely his strong suit and, I don’t know, his ability to avoid people in the pocket,” Weathersby said.
“I would say it’s honestly like trying to tackle (Baltimore Ravens QB) Lamar Jackson,” Norman added. “Somebody who can run, who can shake you. I’m helping him and he’s helping me with breaking down in the backfield and stuff like that.”
It’s impossible to argue with those assessments. There’s no doubt Brandon’s legs, his escapability, and his athleticism add an additional element to the Vols’ offense. Tennessee has seen the running ability pay dividends in previous years with Hendon Hooker and Joe Milton making big plays, as well as Nico Iamaleava in 2024.
It remains to be seen how Brandon will do as far as hitting the ground running and executing the passing game. But there’s no doubt that if pressure comes, Brandon’s ability to escape and avoid a negative play, or perhaps create a positive gain, is an advantage he holds among all Tennessee quarterbacks.
We’ll find out soon enough how the Faizon Brandon era starts off for Tennessee, with kickoff against Furman less than two weeks away.
