Final Prediction: Who Will Be Tennessee Football's Quarterback in 2026

The Tennessee Volunteers have had a plethora of different position battles unfolding during the 2026 offseason, even dating back to the spring, when the Vols would begin practice with a brand new team, before finishing the camp with the annual Orange and White game.

Now that the Vols are in fall, it seems that decisions surrounding certain positions will be made. This includes the quarterback battle, which is expected to be announced sooner rather than later.

Considering a decision is set to be made sooner rather than later, now that the Vols are quickly approaching the first contest of the season, I have made my final prediction of who will be the starting quarterback for the Tennessee football program in 2026.

Final Prediction: Faizon Brandon Will Be the 2026 Starter

Leading into the spring, it was known that the leader was George MacIntyre, a returning quarterback, who previously served as the team's third-string quarterback in his first year with the Vols. The former five-star was still in a three-man quarterback battle, but it was known that if a decision had to be made in the moment, it would be MacIntyre.

To conclude, the spring things truly felt neck and neck. This left many with some questions about who would actually have the edge entering the fall. While all the pressure seemed to be on MacIntyre, it would quickly flip to Faizon Brandon, as he was suddenly the leader throughout fall camp.

A big reason that I believe he is going to be the quarterback is due to the fact that he isn't just getting selected for the now, but he is going to be selected for the future. The new five-for-five ruling allows players to play a fifth season of college football, rather than a traditional four active seasons. This means that this decision will have the chance to lead to a long-term decision.

Even if things are truly neck and neck, you have to go with the player who has the most upside. In my opinion, Brandon is the player with the most upside. He was previously ranked as the No. 1 player in the country due to his consistent success as a gunslinger, along with his undeniable accuracy. He is also someone who has been able to adapt to many different schemes and is by far one of the more gifted players when it comes to throwing on the run.

Brandon entered college as a near-complete prospect and leaves no reason to believe that he would fall short of expectations under head football coach Josh Heupel.

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