Vols head coach Josh Heupel confirms important aspect of Tennessee’s starting quarterback battle

The Tennessee Vols will feature a quarterback battle this spring and fall with Joey Aguilar moving on to the NFL.

Zach Ragan — Tennessee Volunteers News Writer
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With Joey Aguilar officially moving on to the NFL, the Tennessee Vols are set to feature a three-man starting quarterback battle this spring and fall.

Aguilar was hoping to return to Tennessee for the 2026 season, but an injunction that would’ve allowed him to play was recently denied.

“I mean, everything happens for a reason,” said Aguilar last week at the NFL scouting combine. “They granted me a TRO, so I was out there practicing like if I was coming back, and then the judge declined my request. It is what it is. I’m excited to pursue this next chapter of my life.”

Redshirt freshman George MacIntyre, true freshman Faizon Brandon, and Colorado Buffaloes transfer Ryan Staub will compete for the starting quarterback job ahead of the 2026 season.

Josh Heupel confirms important aspect of Tennessee’s starting quarterback battle

While Tennessee’s starting quarterback battle is being billed as a three-man competition, there are plenty of fans and analysts who see it as MacIntyre’s job to lose.

MacIntyre has only attempted nine passes in his college career, but his year of experience in Josh Heupel’s offensive system seemingly gives him a huge advantage in this battle.

Some folks, in fact, are already penciling in MacIntyre as Tennessee’s starting quarterback in 2026, leading some to believe that the competition is just for show.

Heupel, however, “emphatically” told On3’s Chris Low that it will be a “real” competition.

Low, who pointed out that Tennessee is paying MacIntyre and Brandon an estimated $3 million (combined), noted that Heupel says there are no “favorites” in the quarterback battle.

“It’s not just one thing,” said Heupel to Low of what he’s looking for in a starting quarterback. “Some of it is their ability to relate, connect and draw things out of the guys around them. A lot of it is their ability to respond to adverse situations or plays previously that didn’t go well and then move on because inevitably that’s going to happen at the quarterback position.”

It certainly sounds like Brandon, who led his high school to back to back state championships, will have a real opportunity to win the job as a true freshman.

Notably, Heupel told Low that Brandon has been a “full go” since arriving in Knoxville earlier this winter (Brandon missed nine games as a senior due to a hand injury).

It’s shaping up to be a fun spring for Vols fans. MacIntyre and Brandon may be short on experience, but they’re both extremely talented quarterbacks who have Heisman Trophy potential. Either one could be capable of leading the Vols to a national championship.

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