From Faizon Brandon to Keisean Henderson, how 2026 5-star QBs fared in college debuts
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There were several notable storylines entering Week 1 of the college football season. Like it is every year, how freshman quarterbacks perform on a larger stage was one of the many important questions a few fanbases were hoping to be answered.
In terms of five-stars from the 2026 class, a trio made their college debuts on Saturday, Sept. 5, with each having a different a level of success. One started, one was a backup who received a good number of reps and one saw limited action.
How did each fare once they got onto the field?
Here's a look at how the three five-star quarterback prospects in the 2026 recruiting class fared in their college debuts on Saturday.
Faizon Brandon, Tennesseee
Brandon saw the most action of any of the former 2026 five-star quarterbacks as he was named Tennessee's starter ahead of the Volunteers' season-opener against Furman.
He made the most of his opportunity in his first start, leading the Volunteers to a dominant 56-9 win and giving Tennessee fans hope for the future. On the day, Brandon was 13-of-17 passing for 226 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing 10 times for 68 yards and two more touchdowns.
What may excite Tennessee fans the most was Brandon's instant connection with another former five-star in Mike Matthews. The duo connected four times for 132 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Jared Curtis, Vanderbilt
While Tennessee fans were left happy with what they saw out of their former five-star quarterback, Vanderbilt fans likely left Saturday's night 28-9 win over Austin Peay with more questions than answers.
Jared Curtis entered the game as the Commodores' backup to Blake Berlowitz as the two split reps for most of the night. Berlowitz finished his evening 11-of-16 passing for 149 yards while also rushing for 45 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.
Despite the chants from Vanderbilt fans, Curtis saw the field for the first time on Vanderbilt's final drive of the first half and then came back onto the field in the fourth quarter. He finished his debut 7-of-9 for 60 yards and also ran for 22 yards.
Keisean Henderson, Houston
The 2025 ALL‑USA National Football Team Offensive Player of the Year, came into the year as Houston's backup quarterback, playing behind another former five-star in Conner Weigman.
Houston opened its season holding off Oregon State 33-20 in a dogfight. Weigman played all but one of the Cougars' offensive snaps in the win.
On the Cougars' second drive of the game, Weigman was sacked and had to come out for a play. Henderson entered and fired off a deep pass that was broken up by an Oregon State defender. The Cougars would settle for a field goal following the pass.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: From Faizon Brandon to Keisean Henderson, how 2026 5-star QBs fared in college debuts
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