We are getting oh so close to Tennessee and Josh Heupel taking the field for the start of fall camp, and countless eyes are, of course, on the quarterback battle. Faizon Brandon, Tennessee's coveted 5-star signee, is hoping to make a splash, while redshirt freshman George MacIntyre won't go down without a fight. I don't envy Heupel, as he's got an incredibly difficult decision to make.
And it's one that will more than likely impact the 2027 roster as well. Tennessee beat reporter Adam Sparks brought up a great point that even Heupel knows: with the way the portal works these days, whoever loses the QB battle could decide to transfer. And since our gut tells us Brandon will win the job, could that mean MacIntyre could decide to leave after this campaign? It's something has seemingly weighed on Heupel's mind:
Josh Heupel acknowledges a hard truth about the loser of Tennessee's quarterback competition between Faizon Brandon and George MacIntyre.https://t.co/PidNfoqIsJ
— Adam Sparks (@AdamSparks) August 3, 2026
Josh Heupel needs to take a Faizon Brandon gamble for Tennessee this season
This is something Heupel was asked about during SEC Media Days too, as noted by Sparks in his story. The veteran head coach understands that, considering how the portal works, one of his young QBs could decide to leave town if they don't lead the Vols' offense out onto the field once Week 1 gets here.
“I think that’s the era of college football that we’re in,” Heupel said via Sparks' article on potentially losing a QB if he doesn't win the job. “And it’s kind of been that way for a while now.”
We saw this happen last offseason too. Quarterback Jake Merklinger was hoping to push for the QB1 job ahead of the '25 campaign after Nico Iamaleava bolted for UCLA, but Joey Aguilar was brought in. Merklinger only saw action in garbage time, and when Brandon was signed as the No. 3 QB in the country, the writing was on the wall for Merklinger's future in Knoxville - he has since transferred to UConn.
So, if Brandon wins the job as a true freshman and is locked in to be the starter for at least the next three years, why would MacIntyre stay? The writing would be on the wall for him too, which is why it wouldn't be a shock at all if he does enter the portal this winter. On the flip side, if he wins the job and Brandon is the backup, would the '26 signee really stay put and sit on the bench for the next two seasons?
Yeah, not a chance. Keeping that all in mind, the ceiling under Brandon is higher for the future, and giving him a year in 2026 to learn the offense and get through some growing pains is only going to help this team for 2027 and beyond. With that, I'm doubling down on the North Carolina product being QB1 for the Sept. 5 dance with Furman.
Again, Brandon would be far from perfect this year, but that's going to be okay for the Vols, who could end up winning 8-9 games this year. That'd be nothing for the fanbase to sneeze at, especially if a true freshman QB is the one running the offense. Should that happen, Brandon would look to live up to the hype, while MacIntyre would still be ready to rock if his number is called this fall. Despite that, he would immediately be on transfer watch, and no one should be surprised if breaking news of that kind arrives once the regular season comes to a close.
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