Tennessee’s focus on the starting quarterback battle is now on George MacIntyre and freshman Faizon Brandon. This comes after the Vols have witnessed huge changes over the last year, including the departure of Nico Iamaleava and the brief tenure of Joey Aguilar.
Breaking Down Tennessee’s QB1 Battle Between George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon
Tennessee is turning the page toward a new era after navigating a complicated mix of transfer portal moves and quarterback eligibility questions.
Speaking on his “Adapt & Respond” podcast this week, RJ Young broke down the developing QB1 competition between MacIntyre and Brandon.
“There are lots of people who believe that George MacIntyre has earned this opportunity and should. Faizon Brandon looks the part to play the part,” Young said (7:55). “You go with the younger guy every single time, and you bet on his talent being able to hold him until his acumen steps up. In that way, I think you could be sitting on an SEC newcomer of the year. But still some things to sort out. But Faizon Brandon is the real deal…”
MacIntyre entered 2025 as one of three scholarship quarterbacks and served primarily as a backup alongside Jake Merklinger. He saw limited action, completing 7 of 9 passes for 69 yards across two appearances.
MacIntyre was ranked as a four-star prospect in the 2025 class, according to the 247Sports Composite, while being ranked as the No. 151 player in the country. He was also the No. 13 QB in the nation and threw for 2,702 yards as a senior.
Heupel has already seen encouraging growth from MacIntyre this spring.
“Yeah, I think even Day one, Day two of spring ball, from where he was at the end of the season, you can see the steps that he’s taken, so really pleased with that,” Heupel said.
Meanwhile, Brandon entered the program as the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2026 class. Despite dealing with injuries during much of his senior year, he later helped lead his team to a North Carolina state championship.
Early spring observations from Riley Haltom of 99.1 THE Sports Animal pointed out some inconsistency, mentioning that Brandon didn’t always appear fully in sync with his receivers in recent practices.
However, Brandon remains firmly in the race. How quickly he adapts in the battle will be crucial in determining whether he can seriously challenge for the starting job heading into fall camp.
Regardless of who wins the QB1 role, both players bring interesting upside to a Tennessee offense that finished last season with an 87.1 score, according to PFSN’s College Football Offense Impact Metric.
