What now for Faizon Brandon, George MacIntyre? Answering Tennessee football QB questions

Coach Josh Heupel gave his answer to Tennessee's starting quarterback question. It’s Faizon Brandon.

But Tennessee fans still have many more questions about the quarterback situation, and they submitted them in the Vols mailbag.

Brandon, the five-star freshman, will start when the 18th-ranked Vols play Furman on Sept. 5 (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+/SEC Network+) at Neyland Stadium. After that, the depth chart goes sophomore George MacIntyre, Colorado transfer Ryan Staub and sophomore Mason Phillips.

But there’s a lot to ponder beyond that. So let’s jump into the mailbag.

What did Faizon Brandon do better than George MacIntyre?

Brandon showed more of a big-play ability than MacIntyre. He completed deep passes and broke long runs. Granted, those were in practices and scrimmages, but that’s all coaches have to evaluate until the season kicks off.

MacIntyre was accurate on short and mid-range passes. But he was less accurate downfield. He understands pass protections well, which could be a challenge for Brandon early in the season.

Coaches hope Brandon’s mobility will add a layer to the offense with designed quarterback runs and scrambles to extend pass plays.

Did Josh Heupel pick the right quarterback?

From the available information, yes. MacIntyre had a solid preseason, but Brandon has climbed a steeper trajectory since enrolling in January.

Granted, no one knows for certain if Heupel picked the right quarterback, not even Heupel. Recall in 2021 that he chose the uber-athletic Joe Milton as the starter, but it turned out that Hendon Hooker was the better option.

Was the quarterback competition close?

It was close in the spring. It was close in the summer. Brandon probably had a slight lead entering preseason practice, which he extended through the first scrimmage. It was essentially over from there.

Credit MacIntyre for having a better training camp than spring practice, and Brandon still made enough freshman mistakes to make it a true competition.

Here’s a point that can’t be overlooked: They’re both young, inexperienced and learning. If there was an experienced transfer in the mix, Brandon and MacIntyre might’ve both lost the competition to them.

Was Josh Heupel more afraid of losing Faizon Brandon to portal than George MacIntyre?

That’s a logical conclusion because Brandon was the higher-rated recruit, presumably carried the higher NIL price tag and touted the greater upside.

But those factors didn’t determine this quarterback competition. If the roles were reversed, Brandon would’ve still won the competition. Even if he were a lesser-paid, four-star prospect, the coaches would’ve come to the same conclusion. They believe Brandon has outplayed MacIntyre and gives UT the best chance to win.

Will George MacIntyre enter the portal after the season?

Yes, unless circumstances change. If Brandon retains the starting position throughout the season, avoids serious injury and plays reasonably well, expect MacIntyre to enter the transfer portal in January and explore opportunities to start elsewhere.

MacIntyre needs to play well this season when he gets an opportunity to increase his stock as a transfer. If Brandon plays like a five-star player, the fact that MacIntyre lost the starting competition to him won’t hurt his value much. If Brandon struggles as the starter but MacIntyre remains the backup, it could hurt MacIntyre’s transfer stock.

Will Josh Heupel give George MacIntyre playing time early in season?

Great question, and the answer isn’t a slam dunk. If UT beats Furman (Sept. 5) and Kennesaw State (Sept. 19) by lopsided scores, MacIntyre should get playing time.

But it’s debatable whether he should play a lot or a little. After all, Brandon is a true freshman, so he needs every game rep he can get. The Vols plays Georgia Tech (Sept. 12) and No. 4 Texas (Sept. 26) in the first month of the season.

Brandon’s experience in preparing for those games is more important than MacIntyre’s playing time.

Is Faizon Brandon the starter only in Week 1?

Technically, yes. In reality, no. Heupel will give Brandon the opportunity to hold the job through growing pains. Sure, Heupel said Brandon earned the start in Week 1, but there are motives behind that statement.

UT needs MacIntyre engaged in the game plan and competing fiercely. In Heupel’s five seasons at UT, his backup quarterback in the season opener ultimately started 14 games as a replacement later in the season — 11 by Hooker in 2021, two by Milton in 2022 and one by Nico Iamaleava in 2023.

Plus, Heupel wants Brandon to remain as hungry to retain the job as he was in winning it. He doesn’t want his starter uncomfortably looking over his shoulder, but a competitive push could help the freshman.

How valuable is Ryan Staub as QB3? Remember how 2004 went

You’re referring to the 2004 season when freshmen Brent Schaeffer and Erik Ainge suffered season-ending injuries, and Rick Clausen finished the season.

That scenario is always possible but unlikely. That being said, Staub is a good option for a third-string quarterback, especially in this era. He played 12 games with two starts at Colorado. He passed for 427 yards and three TDs and rushed for a TD.

Any sympathy for George MacIntyre, a coveted recruit who came to UT to start?

You never feel good when a player works hard for a starting position but doesn’t get it. However, countless college players fall into that category every season. MacIntyre’s plight is no worse than theirs.

History says MacIntyre likely will still impact UT’s season. And he’ll have three seasons of eligibility after 2026. Plus, he’s presumably been paid well in NIL money already, so he’s not empty handed.

Will snubbing George MacIntyre for a freshman QB hurt recruiting?

No. Quarterbacks in this era know how these competitions go. They sign lucrative NIL deals. They compete. The winner gets the starting job. The loser enters the portal.

Quarterback Kaden Craft, a four-star recruit in the 2028 class, acknowledged that reality when he committed to Tennessee.

There’s still an entire 2026 season for this quarterback situaution to potentially play out differently. Also keep in mind that MacIntyre has spent only one season at UT. It’s not like he’s a senior who has waited patiently for multiple years for his chance. He’s a young quarterback just like Brandon.

How do the QBs look physically after offseason program?

Brandon is listed at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds. He already had a college-ready body, and he’s added to it since enrolling at UT in January.

MacIntyre is listed at 6-6, 208 pounds. He has gained more than 25 pounds since enrolling in 2025. He is still slender, but his frame didn’t impact the quarterback competition.

Will UT utilize Faizon Brandon as a runner or be conservative?

Brandon’s running ability is intriguing. He was an effective runner in high school, but he hasn’t done it against live tackling at the college level yet.

Will he gain 10 yards and slide? Will he stiff-arm defenders, take on tacklers and break long runs? He is fast and athletic. But we don’t really know what he’ll do in a game.

They’ll want to protect him from injury against Furman and probably utilize his legs more in SEC games. But play-calling is only part of it. Brandon’s comfort level in running will be another part.

Is Ryan Staub superior to the others in any way?

Staub has enough playing time to grade his ability on the college level. He’s serviceable as a dual-threat reserve quarterback. He completed only 55% of his passes at Colorado, but he demonstrated good mobility as a runner. His game experience is valuable.

We haven’t seen enough of Brandon and MacIntyre in college games to truly evaluate them. But their profiles as recruits say they’re more talented than Staub in the ways that matter most.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: What now for Faizon Brandon, George MacIntyre? Answering Tennessee football QB questions