Faizon Brandon's Injury Status Ahead of Tennessee vs. Arkansas

The Tennessee Volunteers have released their injury report for the upcoming game against the Arkansas Razorbacks, and as expected, star quarterback Faizon Brandon is on the availability report.

While some are listed as out, Brandon's status says questionable, which just means that it remains unknown if he will be activated for the game against the Razorbacks on the road this weekend. Of course, if activated, he will be the backup quarterback this weekend, as the Vols already handed the keys over to George MacIntyre, who is getting his first start at the gunslinger position in his college career.

This comes after Brandon was pulled during the game against the Auburn Tigers, which is something that head coach Josh Heupel discussed at his weekly press conference.

Josh Heupel on Faizon Brandon's Reaction to Being Benched During the Auburn Game

“Yeah, I think Faizon handled it well. He was a good teammate during the course of the football game. Disappointed in that moment, but also I think he realized that he wasn’t playing his best, but major part because of what he was dealing with physically from the week before. Those guys have been great together in the room. I’m not saying they’re the best of friends hanging out outside the building, but they have been really good inside the room, on the practice field, and on game day together. So I expect that to continue as we go,” Heupel said.

As many know, the injury that Brandon suffered was an upper-body injury, and was an injury that came against the Texas Longhorns, as he took a beating even in the early part of the game. He missed some time at quarterback during that game, as he was checked out in the medical tent, but when he came back, he never looked the same.

Fast forward to the game against the Tigers, and he was playing in this contest with an injury that was lingering. He struggled through nearly two full quarters before MacIntyre found his way onto the football field, where he would remain in the game for the Vols.

This is something that Heupel detailed in his press conference.

Josh Heupel Details Faizon Brandon's Injury Affecting Him in the Game Against the Auburn Tigers

“Yeah, being limited in the early part of the week, certainly, those reps, those opportunities allow you to progress during the course of the week. I thought he did a really good job of staying engaged, getting mental reps. We were making him take drops in the early part of the week, right behind the pocket. Ultimately, just everybody together, we weren’t playing our best football early. He’s a competitor, he’s extremely tough, he’s resilient, he’s a winner, and he’ll continue to bounce back from what he was doing,” Heupel said.

If he were to be activated, it is unknown if he will play at all, but if he is inactive, then Ryan Staub will slide in to be the No. 2 quarterback, while MacIntyre likely takes all of the first-team reps for the Tennessee Volunteers.

Send your questions, comments, and hot takes to our email tennesseeonsi@gmail.com for the chance to be featured in an article!

Follow Our Social Media Accounts

• Follow Vols on SI on X (Click HERE)
• Follow Vols on SI on Facebook (Click HERE)
• Follow Vols on SI on Instagram (Click HERE)
• Subscribe to Vols on SI on YouTube (Click HERE)

Add us as a preferred source on Google