Tennessee’s QB Faizon Brandon Fuels Lamar Jackson Hype After Explosive 5-TD Debut
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Faizon Brandon could hardly have asked for a better start to his Tennessee career.
The true freshman quarterback accounted for five touchdowns in the Volunteers’ 56-9 win over Furman, completing 13 of 17 passes for 226 yards and three scores while adding 68 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Brandon’s performance earned him SEC Freshman of the Week honors and immediately added fuel to some lofty preseason praise.
Tennessee edge rusher Jordan Norman compared Brandon’s mobility to Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson before the season even began.
“I would say, honestly, it’s like trying to tackle Lamar Jackson,” Norman said. “Somebody who can run, shake you.”
Norman made the comparison after seeing Brandon throughout Tennessee’s preseason work, specifically pointing toward the freshman’s ability to create problems for defenders with his legs.
That is enormous praise for a quarterback who had not yet taken a college snap at the time.
Faizon Brandon Could Not Have Started Much Better
Comparing any freshman quarterback to Jackson is obviously premature. Jackson is a former Heisman Trophy winner and one of the most accomplished dual-threat quarterbacks in NFL history. Brandon has played exactly one college game, and that game came against Furman. That distinction matters.
Still, if Brandon wanted to give Tennessee fans an immediate reason to believe the hype, he accomplished about as much as possible in his debut. His five total touchdowns tied the Tennessee freshman record, and he did most of his damage before the opener had even reached the fourth quarter.
The athleticism that inspired Norman’s Jackson comparison was also visible immediately. Brandon did not simply beat Furman from the pocket. He made plays with his legs and showed why Tennessee believed his dual-threat ability could change the offense. The next test should tell the football world considerably more.
Georgia Tech Will Reveal More About Brandon
Tennessee travels to Bobby Dodd Stadium on Saturday for a 7 p.m. ET matchup with Georgia Tech, Brandon’s first road start at the college level. It will also be the Volunteers’ first game at Georgia Tech since 1986.
Georgia Tech lost its opener 14-13 to Colorado, but the Yellow Jackets were competitive until the final play and drew a sold-out crowd of 52,113 at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
That environment should provide a much more revealing evaluation of Tennessee’s freshman quarterback.
Dominating Furman is one thing. Going into another Power Four program’s stadium at night and maintaining the same poise, explosiveness and control is another.
It is far too early to determine whether Brandon deserves anything resembling a Lamar Jackson comparison. One dominant performance against an FCS opponent cannot answer a question that large.
But it was an excellent start.
If Brandon produces another impressive performance Saturday in Atlanta, the hype surrounding Tennessee’s young quarterback will become much harder to dismiss.
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