Faizon Brandon
| No. 11 – Tennessee Volunteers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback |
| Class | Freshman |
| Personal information | |
| Born | June 1, 2008 Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Grimsley (Greensboro, North Carolina) |
| College | Tennessee (2026–present) |
| Stats at ESPN | |
Faizon Brandon (born June 1, 2008) is an American college football quarterback for the Tennessee Volunteers.
Early life
[edit]Brandon was born on June 1, 2008 in Greensboro, North Carolina.[1][2] He attended Grimsley High School in Greensboro. As a freshman in 2022, he completed 32 of 44 passes for 534 yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions.[3] As a sophomore in 2023, he completed 191 of 277 passes for 3,026 yards, 36 touchdowns and three interceptions and rushed for 528 yards with nine touchdowns.[4] As a junior in 2024, Brandon passed for 2,814 yards with 35 touchdowns and two interceptions and led his team to a state title championship.[5] He was named the North Carolina Gatorade Football Player of the Year and North Carolina Mr. Football.[6][7][8]
A five-star recruit, Brandon was the consensus top quarterback and one of the top overall recruits in the class of 2026.[9] He committed to the University of Tennessee to play college football.[10][11]
College career
[edit]Brandon entered his true freshman season competing with George MacIntyre and Ryan Staub for the starting quarterback position. Head coach Josh Heupel named Brandon the starter for the 2026 season opener against Furman.[12] In his collegiate debut, Brandon became the youngest starting quarterback in Tennessee history and completed 13 of 17 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 68 yards and two touchdowns in the 56–9 victory.[13] His five total touchdowns tied the Tennessee freshman record previously held by Casey Clausen and Tyler Bray.[14] He was named SEC and Shaun Alexander Freshman Player of the Week.[15][16]
Statistics
[edit]| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| 2026 | Tennessee | 3 | 3 | 3–0 | 41 | 64 | 64.1 | 552 | 8.6 | 6 | 0 | 167.5 | 26 | 137 | 5.3 | 3 |
| Career | 3 | 3 | 3–0 | 41 | 64 | 64.1 | 552 | 8.6 | 6 | 0 | 167.5 | 26 | 137 | 5.3 | 3 | |
References
[edit]- ↑ Adams, Anna (April 24, 2024). "A proud product of Greensboro, new No. 1 Faizon Brandon's rise up the 2026 rankings was a long time coming". 247Sports. Retrieved 2025-02-08.
- ↑ Callahan, Ryan (June 1, 2024). "Five-star QB Faizon Brandon has 'cool experience' at Vols' Night at Neyland camp". 247Sports. Retrieved 2025-02-08.
- ↑ Morton, Kyle (April 24, 2023). "Grimsley freshman QB Faizon Brandon receives offer from UNC". HighSchoolOT.com. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
- ↑ Cobb, David (August 3, 2024). "Tennessee football recruiting: Faizon Brandon, top overall prospect in Class of 2026, picks Vols over Alabama". CBS Sports. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
- ↑ Roche, Bryant (December 21, 2024). "'Period. Point blank': Faizon Brandon plays like nation's best QB as Grimsley wins state". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
- ↑ Wertz Jr., Langston (December 6, 2024). "Greensboro Grimsley QB Faizon Brandon named NC Gatorade prep football player of the year". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
- ↑ Wertz Jr., Langston (December 19, 2024). "Grismley High quarterback Faizon Brandon named NC's Mr. Football for the 2024 season". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
- ↑ Gray, Nick (December 6, 2024). "Tennessee football commit Faizon Brandon named Gatorade NC Player of the Year". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
- ↑ Bryant, Joel (April 24, 2024). "Grimsley 5-star QB Faizon Brandon ranked as No. 1 overall 2026 prospect by 247". HighSchoolOT.com. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
- ↑ Lederman, Eli (August 3, 2024). "QB Brandon, No. 32 in 2026, commits to the Vols". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
- ↑ Sparks, Adam (August 3, 2024). "Faizon Brandon, No. 1 QB in 2026 class, commits to Tennessee football". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
- ↑ "True freshman Faizon Brandon wins Tennessee starting QB job". ESPN. August 24, 2026. Retrieved September 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Brandon Ties UT Rookie Record In 56-9 Win Over Furman". Tennessee Volunteers. September 5, 2026. Retrieved September 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Postgame Notes: #20/18 Tennessee 56, Furman 9". Tennessee Volunteers. September 5, 2026. Retrieved September 11, 2026.
- ↑ "SEC Football Players of the Week: Sept. 1". secsports.com. September 7, 2026. Retrieved September 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Faizon Brandon Selected As Shaun Alexander Freshman Player of the Week". Tennessee Volunteers. September 9, 2026. Retrieved September 11, 2026.