Tennessee Freshman QB, Faizon Brandon, One Of Most "Pressurized Freshmen" in 2026

ESPN has listed Tennessee Freshman QB, Faizon Brandon, as one of the freshmen entering 2026 with the most pressure.

The Tennessee Volunteers’s projected starting quarterback entering the 2026 season received a bit of unfortunate this past week as Joey Aguillar was denied his extra year of eligibility. It’s left Aguillar in Indianapolis, Indiana, for the NFL Scouting combine, and it’s left the Vols looking for a new starting quarterback in 2026.

They currently have three options on the roster. They brought in transfer Ryan Staub from Colorado, they have sophomore George MacIntyre, and most recently enrolled, Faizon Brandon.

According to ESPN, it’s Brandon who is one of the freshmen that’s under the most pressure entering the 2026 college football season.

Faizon Brandon Listed As Pressurized Freshman

Brandon was the No. 10 overall player and a consensus industry five-star in the 2026 signing class and is already on campus in Knoxville, preparing for his first year of collegiate football.

Here’s what ESPN had to say about the future of the Vols QB room. “But it's fair to wonder if the gifted young quarterback will eventually break through. Brandon arrives on Rocky Top after compiling a 35-1 record as a high school starter, and the big-armed passer has all the traits of a future franchise quarterback. If things go south early for Tennessee in 2026, Brandon's turn could come sooner rather than later this fall.”

The Vols will begin their 2026 season against Fuman on september 5th before they kick off P4 competition against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Whether or not Faizon Brandon gets starting playing time in 2026, we should be able to get a look at him at some point, considering the depth of the room and the schedule that the Vols are presented.

The last true freshman to start a game for the Vols was back in 2019 when Brian Maurer took the reins of the offense.

Brandon comes to the Vols from Grimsley High School in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he was one of the most prolific passers in preparatory football.

The Vols were building their QB room of the fruits of the labor from high school recruiting under Heupel. Signing players like Nico Iamaleava, George MacIntyre, and Faizon Brandon requires time and resources on the recruiting trail. It wasn’t until Nico Iamaleavast suddenly up and transferred mid-spring before the Vols were suddenly in the market for a transfer quarterback.

Sure, Heupel’s first few years in Knoxville he took transfer QBs like Joe Milton and Hendon Hooker, but he eventually settled into signing high school talents… talents that now need to play.