Why the New Eligibility Rule is Huge Following Faizon Brandon Being Named the Starter

This new rule where players can play longer is very beneficial for the Tennessee Volunteers now more than ever.

Quarterback Faizon Brandon during a visit to the University of Tennessee | Tennessee Athletic Association

The Tennessee Volunteers have had some important decisions to make this offseason. This includes arguably their biggest decision of the entire offseason: naming a starting quarterback.

After gunslinger Joey Aguilar was ruled ineligible after attempting to gain one last season of eligibility, quarterback George MacIntyre was the frontrunner to become the next starting quarterback for the Vols.

That wouldn't be the case, as the Vols would later name first-year quarterback Faizon Brandon as a starter, which makes him the first true freshman quarterback to start the first game for the Vols since 2004, when Brent Schaeffer was named the starting quarterback.

While this is a decision for the present, this decision is more for the future, which had to play a factor in why the Vols felt it was necessary to give Brandon the start, rather than give the ball to MacIntyre.

Why the New Eligibillity Rule is Huge Following Faizon Brandon Being Named as the Season-Opener Starter

Tennessee quarterback Faizon Brandon speaks to a camper at his Youth Football Camp at Anderson County High School on July 25, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

For those who don't know, there is a new eligibility rule for college athletes. That rule now allows players to play five years of college football, rather than being a rule that keeps college football players having to be sat on the bench for what would be a redshirt year. If the Vols had Brandon last year, they could have redshirted him, and he would have four years of college football. Now, Tennessee football can have five-year starters.

This gives Brandon plenty of time to grow and become comfortable within the system before making a move to the NFL, which is expected, as he is by far one of the more gifted young athletes in the country.

This May or May Not Even Be a Factor for Faizon Brandon

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

Brandon, a five-star quarterback, is going to be linked to the 2029 NFL Draft early on due to the talent that he has and the production that many believe he will bring to the table. This means that this rule may never apply to him enough for him to stay in Knoxville for that long, but keep in mind that this is a possibility.

This also likely played a factor in the Vols' decision, as Brandon could have sat behind MacIntyre for the next four years. This decision wasn't just one for the now, but seems to be a business decision for the years to come.

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