ESPN ranked Tennessee football freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon at No. 22 overall on its list of the top-100 newcomers for the 2026 season. The former five-star, top-10 prospect was ranked behind six other quarterbacks on the list.

Indiana transfer quarterback Josh Hoover is No. 1 entering his senior season, ahead of LSU transfer QB Sam Leavitt at No. 3 and Miami transfer quarterback Darian Mensah at No. 4. Penn State transfer QB Rocco Becht is No. 6, Oklahoma State transfer QB Drew Mestemaker is No. 8, Vanderbilt freshman Jared Curtis is No. 14 and Auburn transfer QB Byrum Brown is No. 16. 

“With 2025 starter Joey Aguilar out of eligibility and backup Jake Merklinger  transferring to UConn, Josh Heupel needs a new leader at the helm of his offense,” ESPN’s Billy Tucker wrote. “Enter Brandon, a five-star out of North Carolina who will battle last year’s third-stringer George MacIntyre for the starting job. 

“While it’s an ongoing battle and MacIntyre has a smattering of mop-up duty experience, Brandon’s elite traits should put him in contention to play right away as a true freshman.”

Faizon Brandon Rivals rankings: No. 9 overall, No. 3 QB, No. 1 NC

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Brandon, out of Grimsley High School in Greensboro, N.C., was the No. 9 overall prospect in the Rivals Industry Ranking for the 2026 class. He was the No. 3 quarterback in the country and the No. 1 prospect in North Carolina. 

“Despite his age,” Tucker wrote, “Brandon uses his solid, balanced base to play under control. He has the arm strength to make any throw and the accuracy to layer in balls where needed. While Brandon has plenty of arm talent, he’s also athletic and mobile enough to pressure defenses with his legs. 

“He will have to grow up fast and adapt quickly to the pace and smaller throwing windows in college, but he has very good tools to make an impact if his name is called. Brandon is more advanced than Hendon Hooker at the same stage and more advanced as a passer than Joe Milton.”

The competition between Brandon and MacIntyre started in spring practice and is expected to continue through the summer and into fall camp. 

MacIntyre appeared in two games as Tennessee’s third quarterback last season, completing 7 of 9 passes for 69 yards.

He was a four-star prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, ranked No. 195 overall in the Rivals Industry ranking. He was the No. 15 quarterback in the class and No. 3 overall in the state of Tennessee, out of Brentwood Academy in Nashville

‘It’s important that you have that competition going to training camp’

Josh Heupel was asked during The Big Orange Caravan in April if he had a desired timeline in mind to name a starter. While only his quarterbacks can answer that question, Heupel pointed toward training camp in August.

“Ultimately when a guy earns it,” Heupel said. “I think it’s important that they earn it in front of their peers. But I also think it’s important you finish up spring ball, and there’s been a lot of work in the winter through spring ball. But you got an opportunity to sit back, digest everything, continue to grow in May, June and July and come back a dramatically different player, too. 

“So I think for all those reasons, it’s important that you have that competition going to training camp. That’s how we’ve handled it in our history and I think it forces competition through the summer and (brings) a lot of growth.”