Vanderbilt Doesn't Follow Tennessee Football's Faizon Brandon Blueprint

The Vanderbilt Commodores followed behind the Tennessee Volunteers when it comes to announcing their quarterback decision. The Vols announced their starting quarterback to be Faizon Brandon. Brandon is a true freshman and is the first Tennessee Vols true freshman quarterback to start the first game of the season since Brent Schaeffer in 2004. This means that Brandon wasn't even born yet, which goes to show that this is a rare decision.

While this seemed like a slam-dunk opportunity for the Vols, the Vanderbilt Commodores went the complete opposite route, although many believed they would follow the trend of the fellow in-state program.

It was announced by On3 and Pete Nakos that the Commodores will start Blaze Berlowitz, rather than starting five-star freshman Jared Curtis. Curtis was originally committed to the Georgia Bulldogs, but he would later flip to the Vanderbilt Commodores, due to the fact that he was expecting to be the starter for the Commodores.

While this isn't the news that he wanted, he will still play in the first game of the season against Austin Peay. What does this mean for the major matchup between Tennessee and Vanderbilt at the end of the 2026 season?

Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt, The Battle of Freshmen, Not Exactly Out of Question

Tennessee quarterback Faizon Brandon smiles during an interview at his Youth Football Camp at Anderson County High School on July 25, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

While the Commodores may be starting a veteran quarterback over their five-star for game one, that doesn't mean he won't be the starter come rivalry week. I believe that these two will still battle it out if they are both healthy.

What the Game Would Offer

This game would offer a look into the future. While it may show the present status of where they stand, everyone should expect this to be the most raw season that either of these quarterbacks will have. By the time this game is played, both quarterbacks should be fully equipped with the playbook and should play a clean game of football, although there will be some freshman mistakes in almost every game this season.

When it comes to the players themself, there weren't any quarterbacks better than these two in the last recruiting class, in my opinion. I believe that this is going to be the best freshman vs. freshman matchup that will be seen across the entire conference and nation as a whole. A big game is incoming, and this is one that is worth watching closely throughout the season, as both teams will enter a stage where they have no choice but to play their five-star gunslinger.

Add us as a preferred source on Google