Tennessee football rumors: All signs point to 5-star phenom winning tense QB1 battle

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Tennessee football will need a new starting quarterback for the 2026 campaign. Last year, Joey Aguilar, who had started two previous years at the FBS level, started 13 games for the Vols. This year, the battle is between two quarterbacks without college experience, as Faizon Brandon and George MacIntyre battle for the job.

Now, it is being reported that Brandon has the inside track on the job, per Matt Zenitz and Chris Hummer of CBSSports.

“George operated better (overall) during the spring, but physically, Faizon’s really gifted,” a source told CBSSports.

MacIntyre is coming off his redshirt freshman year and did get some experience in 2025 as the backup to Aguilar. He played in two games, completing seven of nine passes for 69 yards. Meanwhile, Brandon comes in as a true freshman. He was the third-ranked overall prospect in the 2026 cycle according to 247Sports, while also being ranked as the top quarterback. Still, he is young, having just turned 18 this week. That has not stopped him from being confident.

“This kid’s got moxie,” a source told CBSSports. “He’s got the ability obviously, but he’s also got that moxie, personality and confidence.”

Brandon showed both good and bad in the spring games, but impressed Jim Knowles, who is the new defensive coordinator for Tennessee. Knowles has worked previously at Penn State, Ohio State, and Oklahoma State, leading to top 15 defensive units in four of the last six years. What stood out to Knowles was his ability to bounce back from mistakes while attacking the defense.

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