Here we go. After an offseason that felt like an eternity at points, Josh Heupel and Tennessee are ready for the season-opener this weekend, and countless eyes are going to be on 5-star freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon. The hype could not be higher for the North Carolina product, as he's viewed as the future of this program with the ball in his hands.
That spells trouble for Furman, as the Paladins are entering this contest as major underdogs - per the FanDuel Sportsbook, Tennessee is favored by 48.5 points, meaning plenty of points are going to be scored in this one. With the training wheels coming off for Brandon, this also means he'll have the chance to flash his potential, while also having a shot at making some Vols history.
FAIZON BRANDON UNCORKS IT
— Joey Petersen (@joeypetersen8) August 28, 2026
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Faizon Brandon could break Nico Iamaleava's single-game freshman debut passing record for Tennessee
Again, with the spread being so high, we could easily see Tennessee score 55 to 65 points. In order for that to happen, Heupel is going to put Brandon in an immediate position to succeed, catering the play-calling to help him grow in confidence, while also continuing to learn the offense in a live situation, this time against a defense that's not Tennessee's in practice.
This experience against Furman is going to be incredibly valuable for Brandon, who at the end of the day is still 18 years old. There are going to be a ton of mistakes made by him as a 'rookie' QB in the college game, but it's best for him to sharpen things against Furman in Week 1. Heupel knows this, which is why he can be versatile with the way he runs things, knowing he can test it out against the Paladins, and surely not against Alabama or something.
And if all goes to plan for Brandon at Neyland Stadium in his highly-anticipated debut, it's safe to assume that he could make Nico Iamaleava sweat over his single-game freshman passing record, though something tells us the new UCLA starter isn't too worried about that. Still, back in 2024, Nico set the new top mark for a freshman making his debut, tossing for 314 yards in a 69-3 win over mighty Chattanooga.
Let's all dream for a second. Imagine Brandon is firing on all cylinders, with Braylon Staley and Mike Matthews both topping 125 yards each. On top of that, Brandon spreads the ball around a little bit more, with him finishing the afternoon with 337 passing yards and three touchdowns in a 56-3 Tennessee victory.
You know what, we'd bet that a bunch of you would sign on the dotted line immediate for that. It's also not too crazy to think about. Brandon was a 5-star prospect and the No. 3 QB in the country for the 2026 class for good reason. He tossed for nearly 9,000 yards in high school, and he's got a complete and total rocket for an arm. That will be on full display in Knoxville soon enough, with Heupel ready to let him do his thing, with a record-breaking performance potentially being in the cards for everyone in the stands to enjoy.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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