No. 1 player in the country commits to Tennessee football

Josh Heupel and Tennessee football continue to dominate on the recruiting trail. The Vols have added blue-chip prospects to its 2025 recruiting class, and now they have added the best player in the 2026 class. 

Faizon Brandon announced his commitment to Tennessee on Saturday afternoon. The Vols earned his commitment over NC State and SEC rivals Alabama and LSU. The Greensboro, North Carolina native is the best player in the 2026 class, giving Tennessee a chance to sign a top-five class in 2026. 

According to 247Sports, Brandon is the No. 1 quarterback in the country. He is also the No. 1 player in North Carolina, the No. 1 quarterback, and the No. 1 player in the country. He is the Vols' first commitment of the 2026 class, and he becomes the fourth-straight five-star quarterback to commit to Tennessee. 

247Sports Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins credits Brandon's size, athleticism, and strong arm for his early success in his sophomore season. 

"Ascending signal caller that possesses a rare blend of pocket-passer size and dual-threat athleticism to go along with a high-powered arm," Ivins writes. "Had as good of a sophomore season as any of the 2026 quarterbacks, ranking first in a number of key statistical categories (completion percentage, yards per attempt, and turnover rate). 

"Likes to stay on schedule with his clean footwork and shows poise in the face of pressure. Accurate to the numbers and has found plenty of success attacking the intermediate level, but deep ball placement can be a bit uneven. Certainly benefited from throwing to a pair of Power Four wide receivers in his first year as a starter, but game tape shows a potential game-breaker at the next level that's just starting to scratch the surface of what he could be, especially when you factor that he's younger for the grade."

The Grimsley High School quarterback earned the starting job as a sophomore after serving as a backup in 2022. He threw for 3,026 yards, 36 touchdowns, and three interceptions through his sophomore season last year. 

Brandon showed poise and confidence as a young quarterback, leading Grimsley to a 13-1 record. The 6-foot-3.5, 197-pound quarterback has the size and athleticism to be an elite quarterback at the next level before starting his junior season. 

Since coming to Tennessee, Heupel has done a great job recruiting elite quarterbacks. First, he signed Nico Iamaleava in 2023, then Jake Merklinger in 2024, and has a verbal commitment from 2025 quarterback George MacIntyre and now 2026 quarterback Faizon Brandon.