George MacIntyre was expected to be leading the quarterback battle at this point, but all signs now point to five-star freshman Faizon Brandon exceeding expectations and taking the lead. The North Carolina native showed flashes during spring ball, even if there were some rough moments. As a true freshman, going up against a much-improved defense was never going to be easy, but he showed a lot of arm talent and came physically ready.
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Furthermore, he has had one less season to learn the playbook compared to MacIntyre, but has made big strides in that department as well. The more he learns the scheme and the nuances of the Josh Heupel system, the better he will be.
Zooming out, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz and Chris Hummer are also hearing that Brandon is in the lead. Their sources were very high on him, with one saying, “This kid’s got moxie. He’s got the ability obviously, but he’s also got that moxie, personality, and confidence.” Another source added, “I think he’s going to be the real deal.”
It’s hard to ignore the fact that Zenitz and Hummer’s sources said, “George operated better (overall) during the spring, but physically, Faizon’s really gifted.”
This isn’t a huge surprise, honestly. He’s had more time to learn the system and build chemistry with the wide receivers. A lot of the momentum with Brandon comes from the fact that he looked close after just a few months in Knoxville, compared to MacIntyre’s year and a half in the program. The report also noted that the staff was impressed with how Brandon handled the Knowles defense right away. It’s obviously a lot more complex than a North Carolina high school defense, and he showed the confidence to go out and compete against it.
Faizon Brandon looks more and more like QB1 for Tennessee next year
I did think MacIntyre had a slight edge, as he looked better in the spring game, but not by much. You could see the physical traits Brandon has and his arm strength, but he failed to connect a couple of times on deep balls. MacIntyre took a more conservative approach, hitting checkdowns and slowly moving the chains. The pass protection didn’t do either quarterback any favors in the spring game, but that happens. What stood out the most was how Brandon never looked fazed, and for that reason, I'm not shocked at all that multiple different media members have said he's got all the momentum.
We think it should go to Brandon at All for Tennessee as well. He’s not only a big-time prospect, but Tennessee’s NIL department also made a significant investment in him. It would be nice to see what he can do right away and how it fits in Knoxville. That’s nothing against MacIntyre, who has all the potential in the world, but Brandon looks like he could have that “it” factor down the line. Getting all of the growing pains out of the way now could pay off big down the road.
There is still plenty of time left in this battle, but it’s looking more and more like Brandon has the job. As we approach fall camp, all eyes will be on MacIntyre and whether he can make a comeback in the race.
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