Tennessee football has secured the commitment of the top quarterback in the 2026 recruiting class, with Faizon Brandon securely committed to the Vols.
He committed last year before his Junior season, where he threw for 2,159 passing yards and 27 touchdowns, leading the Grimsley Whirlies to a 16-0 record and the North Carolina State Championship.
Brandon will be the second five-star quarterback to come into the program since Josh Heupel arrived in 2021, following Nico Iamaleava. While there are some areas in which Nico excelled in high school, it didn't necessarily translate to Tennessee's playing style and the college level.
That might not be as big an issue for Brandon, though, as ESPN believes he has some of the traits necessary to excel in Tennessee's offense.
"The departure of Nico Iamaleava could allow Brandon to battle for the starting job sooner rather than later in a very quarterback-friendly system," Tom Luginbill wrote about Brandon. "Several recent Volunteers quarterbacks have similar stature, athleticism, and arm strength.
"Brandon is more advanced than Hendon Hooker at the same stage, and the pair share several traits. Brandon is also much more accurate than Joe Milton. While he lacks Iamaleava's polish at this stage, Brandon throws an exceptional deep ball, which is a requirement in this scheme that loves to attack vertically."
The most telling belief that Brandon could be the "next big thing" at Tennessee is that he is ahead of where Hendon Hooker was at this stage of his career. Hooker has been the best quarterback to play in Heupel's system since Heupel began calling plays as an offensive coordinator in 2011 with the Oklahoma Sooners.
He throws a good deep ball and seems to be more accurate than Milton and Nico, which is vital for success in Tennessee's offense.
While Luginbill didn't come out and say Brandon would be a perfect fit, it's clear that if he's ahead of the best quarterback to play in Heupel's system, Brandon could be lethal in the Vols' offensive system.