TENNESSEE VOLS FOOTBALL: Brandon named to 'Hot 37'

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The Maxwell Football Club announced Wednesday that Tennessee freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon was named to the preseason watch list for the ninth annual Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award, presented annually to the outstanding freshman player in college football.

Brandon is one of 37 FBS players selected to the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award watch list. Fourteen semifinalists will be announced Wednesday, Nov. 4, before five finalists are unveiled on Saturday, Dec. 2. The winner will be revealed Monday, Dec. 28, and the award will be formally presented at the 90th Maxwell Awards ceremony on March 13, 2027, in Atlanta.

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel announced that Brandon will enter the 2026 season as the Vols' starting quarterback.

He enrolled at Tennessee in January 2026, participated in spring practice and made significant gains in strength and speed during the Vols' offseason program before ultimately claiming the starting job during preseason camp.

A consensus top-five quarterback and five-star prospect by 247Sports and ESPN, Brandon was ranked No. 2 nationally by 247Sports and No. 9 by ESPN. The Greensboro, North Carolina, native was also ranked as the nation's No. 4 overall recruit by Rivals and was the top-ranked prospect in North Carolina by 247Sports and ESPN.

Before arriving on Rocky Top, Brandon enjoyed a decorated prep career at Grimsley High School, where he compiled a 35-1 record as a starter and led the program to back-to-back state championships.

For his career, he completed more than 72 percent of his passes for 6,374 yards and 79 touchdowns while rushing for 1,261 yards and 21 scores.

As a senior, Brandon completed 66 of 101 passes for 1,116 yards and 11 touchdowns with just one interception while adding 233 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He previously guided Grimsley to a perfect 16-0 record and the 2024 Class 4A state championship as a junior, throwing for 2,814 yards and 35 touchdowns with just two interceptions while completing 77.1 percent of his passes.

Brandon was selected as the 2024 Gatorade and MaxPreps Player of the Year in North Carolina and was a 2026 Navy All-American. He also shined at the 2025 Elite 11 Finals in California and was selected as an Academic All-American in May 2025.

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