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Top Tennessee Quarterback Commit Signs Exclusive Trading Card Deal

Five-Star and Top 2026 recruit Faizon Brandon partners with Leaf Trading Cards.

Michael Ehrlich

Faizon Brandon for Leaf Trading Cards
Faizon Brandon for Leaf Trading Cards / Leaf Trading Cards
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Although the Tennessee Volunteers' quarterback situation has been in turmoil as of late -- with the financially-driven transfer of star quarterback Nico Iamaleava -- the future in Knoxville seems to be secure.

Their top class of 2026 commit Faizon Brandon dominates on the field and now is adding an exclusive NIL partnership to his portfolio.

The Grimsley High School (Greensboro, NC) junior -- who threw for 2,814 yards and 35 touchdowns while rushing for 625 yards and nine touchdowns -- has signed an exclusive NIL deal with Leaf Trading Cards.

A consensus five-star recruit and the top player in the 2026 class, Brandon led Grimsley to an undefeated season in 2024.

He committed to Tennessee in August, prior to the quarterback drama that ensued in Knoxville. Iamaleava was in search of a higher NIL deal than what the Vols previously offered, ending up at UCLA for far less money.

The Vols are set at the quarterback position with former UCLA and Appalachian State transfer Joey Aguilar -- who was essentially traded for Iamaleava -- with five-star recruit George MacIntyre also joining the mix.

“We’re incredibly excited to work with Faizon Brandon," shared Josh Pankow, President of Leaf Trading Cards. "He’s not only a phenomenal talent, but also a great kid from a great family. We couldn’t be more excited about what the future holds.”

Volunteer fans will now be able to start collecting a variety of cards from their quarterback of the future, who still has one more season of high school ahead of him.

“Landing the top player in the upcoming recruiting class exclusively for Leaf is a reflection of the dedication and countless hours our team puts in to ensure our customers get the best experience - and the biggest names - when they open our products," added CJ Breen, Director of Marketing and Licensing at Leaf Trading Cards.

With Brandon, Leaf now adds another future star quarterback to their brand, joining Florida's DJ Lagway, freshman Julian Lewis of Colorado, and top class of 2026 Will Griffin, among many others.

A powerhouse on the women's side of college sports as well, Leaf's roster includes the likes of LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne, Miami basketball twins Haley and Hanna Cavinder, UConn basketball star Paige Bueckers and Duke freshman sensation Toby Fournier, among others.

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Michael Ehrlich
MICHAEL EHRLICH

Michael Ehrlich is a seasoned sports marketing executive with experience across the global sports brand, athlete representation, media and education sides of the business. The Founder and CEO of Playbook Marketing, Ehrlich consults with brands on all things NIL and athlete partnerships, advises student-athletes on their personal brand building endeavors and is an adjunct professor at his alma mater, the University of Southern California where he teaches a course on athlete communications and marketing. As a writer, his previous bylines include Boardroom, Business of College Sports, DIME Magazine and UPROXX, among others. You can follow him across social media at @MichaelEhrlich and reach out via michael@playbook-marketing.com

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