South Dakota Native Heupel Tabs True Freshman to Start for Vols

In this era of college football, it is very rare to see teams trot out inexperienced QBs, especially at the Power Four level.

The Tennessee Volunteers are about to buck that trend, as the program announced a true freshman as its starting quarterback this season.

South Dakota native and Head Coach Josh Heupel has tabbed true freshman Faizon Brandon as the Vols starting quarterback for the upcoming season.

Get our free mobile app

Per ESPN.com:

Tennessee has named true freshman Faizon Brandon as the Volunteers' starting quarterback, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel on Monday.

The 6-foot-4 pocket passer from Greensboro, North Carolina, signed with the Vols last December and spent the offseason competing with second-year quarterback George MacIntyre for the program's starting job.

Brandon will make his college debut against Furman on Sept. 5 (TV: SEC Network, 3:30 p.m. ET) ahead of the Vols' Week 2 visit to Georgia Tech on Sept. 12 (TV: ESPN, 7 p.m. ET).

The Volunteers are ranked No. 20 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll.

Brandon, ESPN's No. 14 overall prospect in the 2026 cycle, will replace former Vols quarterback Joey Aguilar under center following the program's 8-5 finish last fall. He'll step into the role surrounded by eight returning starters on offense, including 1,000-yard rusher DeSean Bishop, 2025 team receptions leader Braylon Staley and former five-star receiver Mike Matthews, who caught 53 passes for 813 yards and four touchdowns in a breakout sophomore season last fall.

Brandon, the 2024 North Carolina Gatorade Football Player of the Year, initially committed to Tennessee in August 2024 and has been long considered the Vols' quarterback of the future. He threw for 6,956 yards and 82 touchdowns as a three-year starter at Grimsley High School, where Brandon posted a 35-1 record and led his program to a pair of state titles.

Sources told ESPN that Brandon's elite upside and dynamism loomed large in Tennessee's decision to name the coveted freshman as its Week 1 starting quarterback. MacIntyre, who signed as ESPN's No. 8 pocket passer in the 2025 cycle, completed seven passes for 69 yards in limited action as a freshman last fall and is joined by veteran Colorado transfer Ryan Staub on the depth chart behind Brandon.

Source: Sources: True freshman Faizon Brandon wins Tennessee QB job - ESPN