Realistic expectations for Tennessee freshman QB Faizon Brandon in 2026

Realistic expectations for Tennessee freshman QB Faizon Brandon in 2026

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Realistic expectations for Tennessee freshman QB Faizon Brandon in 2026

There has been a quarterback battle brewing in Knoxville, but on Monday, the Volunteers announced that five-star freshman Faizon Brandon won the job over George MacIntyre.

MacIntyre appeared to be favored in the battle. He was with Tennessee last season, but Brandon’s talent won in the end and is poised to start for the Volunteers on Sept. 5 against Furman.

There aren’t a ton of true freshman quarterbacks who get the starting nod, but there was a notable true freshmen who started last year. Let’s take a look at what realistic expectations should be for Brandon.

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Faizon Brandon is in a class of his own

Tennessee quarterbacks including George MacIntyre (15), Faizon Brandon (11), and Ryan Staub (17), warm up before the Orange and

Tennessee quarterbacks including George MacIntyre (15), Faizon Brandon (11), and Ryan Staub (17), warm up before the Orange and White game at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, April 11, 2026. Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

According to 247Sports’ rankings, coming out of high school, Brandon was the No. 10 player in the 2026 recruiting class, and he was the No. 3-ranked quarterback. The North Carolina prospect was behind both Keisean Henderson (Houston) and Jared Curtis (Vanderbilt).

But that doesn’t really matter; we know Brandon is full of talent, but fans are going to need to remember that he’s just a true freshman.

Since 2016, only four top-ranked quarterbacks have started as a true freshman.

  • Josh Rosen (UCLA, 2016) (292-of-487 for 3,670 yards, 23 TDs, and 11 INTs)
  • Trevor Lawrence (Clemson, 2018) (259-of-397 for 3,280 yards, 30 TDs, and four INTs)
  • Cade Klubnik (Clemson, 2022) (10 games played with two starts (61-of-100 for 697 yards, two TDs, and three INTs)
  • Bryce Underwood (Michigan, 2025) (202-335 for 2,428 yards, 11 TDs, and nine INTs)

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What will Brandon do in 2026?

Fans might look at Trevor Lawrence’s stats from his true freshman season, but Lawrence truly was in a league of his own. Lawrence was a phenomenal college quarterback and you can’t compare anyone to him.

Tennessee fans also have to realize that the Volunteers don’t have a friendly schedule. As of now, the Vols have games against four top-15 teams. The positive point for Brandon is that four of those games come at home.

The most recent five-star to start a whole season was Bryce Underwood last year at Michigan. The talent was on full display, but a lack of coaching, along with being thrown into the fire of a Big Ten gauntlet, didn’t help the former top-rated quarterback.

I have to believe Tennessee will do a better job coaching Brandon than Michigan did with Underwood. Josh Heupel has a friendly quarterback system, and he will coach Brandon up himself.

Look for the five-star to show off his talent, with several games where he looks the part, but there will be freshman woes along the way. Assuming he starts all season, a realistic stat line would be: 2,800 yards, 21 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in 2026.

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