Josh Heupel and his Tennessee coaching staff do not plan to announce a starting quarterback until August. Redshirt freshman George MacIntyre and true freshman Faizon Brandon are currently competing for the QB1 role.
George MacIntyre or Faizon Brandon: Who Has the Edge to be Josh Heupel’s QB1 in 2026?
OutKick’s Trey Wallace joined 104.5 The Zone’s “The Buck Reising Show” last week and addressed the ongoing quarterback battle in Knoxville, which sparked controversy in the process due to his “Hail Mary” comment.
Wallace later joined “That SEC Podcast” on Sunday and explained that when he used the term “Hail Mary,” he meant it would take a dramatic turnaround for MacIntyre to become the unquestioned starter. However, clips circulating on social media made it seem as though he had already declared a winner or completely written MacIntyre off.
“George MacIntyre had what, a year, year and a half to jump out and essentially go into this spring practice and take the ball and run with it… and he didn’t,” Wallace said. “And you have somebody like Faizon that comes in… there was a lot of upside, and they saw it.
“They’re like, ‘We were expecting good. I don’t know if we were expecting fantastic at times.’ So that kind of changed the narrative around Tennessee, where, and at the same time, MacIntyre did not separate himself.”
Vols insider Tony Basilio also spoke on those concerns during “The Tony Basilio Show” on Friday. According to Basilio, sources inside the program described MacIntyre as looking “unplayable” near the end of spring practice, saying that the staff was shocked by how poorly he performed. It might be unexpected for many, as MacIntyre had experience in the Tennessee offense, and some initially saw him as the Vols’ QB1.
As for Brandon, he entered Knoxville as a consensus five-star prospect and one of the top players in the 2026 recruiting class. He reportedly adapted quickly to Heupel’s up-tempo offense and is viewed as the early favorite coming out of spring camp.
Meanwhile, Wallace later doubled down on the meaning behind his “Hail Mary” remark with his verdict on the Vols’ potential QB1 in 2026.
“The question got brought up like, who do I think the starting quarterback would be. And really, what it was, when I said ‘Hail Mary,’ it was more or less Hail Mary because I don’t think that McIntyre is going to be the bonafide starter going into week 1 and even week 4.
“I was kind of getting it that it would be a Hail Mary for him to be the bonafide starter… and that I think Faizon has an opportunity to snatch that starting quarterback job.”
Whoever wins the position will be thrown into the fire quickly. After opening the season against Furman in Week 1, Tennessee will travel to Atlanta in Week 2 to face Georgia Tech. According to the PFSN College Football Playoff Predictor, the Vols currently hold a 26.3% chance of making the CFP in 2026.
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