It's all going to potentially come down to this. Come Saturday, Tennessee and Josh Heupel will be hosting the second and final scrimmage of the summer, and position battles are going to take center stage. None are bigger than the one at quarterback, as both Faizon Brandon and George MacIntyre have a final opportunity to let Heupel know why they should get the job.
For weeks now, it has been presumed that Brandon is going to win the job and then lead the team out onto the field on Sept. 5 to take on Furman. However, MacIntyre is keeping things incredibly close, with this race feeling like it's pretty dang even.
Despite that, if they are at the same level, Heupel may have to go with his highly-touted 5-star signal-caller, and let Brandon go through some bumps and bruises to better set the program up for the future. MacIntyre won't go down without a fight, which is why if he impresses in this last scrimmage, it could force Heupel into rocking with him instead. Not only that, but MacIntyre's Tennessee career could be on the line come Saturday too.
George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon are still even in Tennessee's QB battle
Not to be overdramatic, but how this scrimmage goes could very well be what decides MacIntyre's future in Knoxville. Let's go ahead and assume Brandon outperforms him, and Heupel names the true freshman the starting quarterback not too long after. It's going to be disappointing for MacIntyre, but he'd have no reason to stay beyond this season if that turns out to be the case.
Think about it, with Brandon being so young, he'd lock up the starting job for the next 3-4 years. MacIntyre isn't going to want to stay on the bench and be a backup for the long haul. It'd be different if he lost the job and he'd be the starter next season. Jake Merklinger was in a similar position after not winning the job last year, which led to him entering the portal.
Why would MacIntyre not choose a similar path if wants to be a starter in the future? That's why this final scrimmage is going to be so important for him - he has to put Heupel in a spot to make a decision that a lot of people would find to be an unpopular one.
There's so much hype surrounding Brandon right now, and understandably so since he made the move to campus earlier this year as a 5-star phenom, and the No. 3 quarterback in the country according to the 247Sports Composite. Countless fans want to see what he can get done with the ball in his hands once Week 1 gets here.
Let's not forget that when MacIntyre signed with the Vols as a member of the 2025 class, he did so as the No. 13 QB in the nation. He's got monster potential as well, but it's time to remind Heupel and everyone else of that with a final decision around the corner. Soon enough Heupel will let us know who his starter will be, but again, it's on MacIntyre to really give him something to think about.
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