Positional Preview: Tennessee Football's Quarterback Room

Welcome to a positional preview series, in which we break down the complete room of each position ahead of the 2026 season. We begin this series with the quarterbacks, who are entering the series as one of the most unproven groups when it comes to the 2026 season.

Meet the Group

Let's begin by meeting the squad.

True freshman gunslinger and former No. 1 high school player in the class of 2026, Faizon Brandon, is by far one of the players on this roster with the most upside. He has been great at the high school level, but as he competes for playing time, it remains unknown what he will do at the college level. Many have high hopes due to his constant growth and his ability to adapt. He is extremely coachable, which is something that I had the chance to see firsthand.

Another quarterback on this roster is George MacIntyre. He is a returning quarterback with a great chance to succeed, as he is known for his lengthy frame and his bazooka of an arm. In high school, he was previously a five-star, before he was moved down to the four-star ranks. He made some amazing plays at Brentwood Academy and has been with the Vols for what is set to be his second season. In his first season, he finished with only 69 yards, but he was also the No. 3 quarterback on the roster, following behind Joey Aguilar and Jake Merklinger

The Tennessee Volunteers made a move in the transfer portal, and they added quarterback Ryan Staub. Staub served as a temporary starter in Colorado under head coach Deion Sanders. He was one of the three focused quarterbacks, as Staub, Julian Lewis, and former Tennessee Vols quarterback Kaidon Salter were the three who played. Staub wasn't great in his limited outings, but he did have some big moments. He finished the season with three touchdowns and four interceptions. However, one could argue that he was the most impressive quarterback during the spring game.

The fourth and final player on the roster when it comes to the quarterback position is Mason Phillips. Phillips is a sophomore quarterback who is looking for his chance to shine. He is expected to serve as the QB4 on this team, but anything can change with rough outings and injuries. Phillips has been a depth body and will continue to be one worth monitoring, even to see where he stands and fits in with the rest of the group. While he isn't likely to be a starter on Rocky Top at any point, it would be nice to see Phillips get some outings in 2026 when the Vols are up big.

2026 Season Expectations

Tennessee quarterback Ryan Staub (8) speaks to the Knox News reporter Adam Sparks as other media circle quarterback George MacIntyre, background, during Tennessee football’s media day on Aug. 4, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

This squad may have plenty of youth, but they will be asked to grow up and act like veterans this season. Tennessee will need a leader out of these quarterbacks, and whoever is on the field will need to have great awareness when it comes to his task, along with the other tasks, which is what makes the quarterback position harder than any other position in college.

When it comes to statistical expectations, this is where things can differ. While everyone is chasing that next Heisman-level season, the biggest key for the Vols this season should be keeping the ball out of the defense's hands, but also staying clean. While there may be some ups and downs, the Vols need to protect the football when it comes to throwing the ball. The Vols also need to have great awareness and take very few sacks, as the last thing that these coaches need or want is an injury to any of these guys.

It may be hard to master the offense in just one year, as the few quarterbacks that have are the rare exception, however, the expectation will be for the quarterbacks to have a great understanding, which may not show in the first game of the season, but by the time they play their final game there should be tremendous growth, not only from the starter, but also from the depth pieces behind him.

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