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Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel remained noncommittal about his starting quarterback for the Volunteers' upcoming matchup with Arkansas, stating that the answer will emerge as the week progresses. During his weekly press conference on October 5, Heupel addressed the quarterback situation but chose not to reveal his plans.
"We'll find out as the week goes here," Heupel said. He praised MacIntyre's performance, noting that the sophomore "came in and did some really good things," while acknowledging that Brandon "obviously wasn't at his best" due to injuries affecting his game. After fielding a few questions about the quarterbacks, Heupel informed reporters that he would not entertain further inquiries on the topic.
Brandon, a five-star freshman, had started the first five games of the season. However, he was benched in the second quarter of a 24-14 victory over Auburn on October 3, and MacIntyre provided a spark for the Volunteers the rest of the way.
The 14th-ranked Volunteers (4-1, 1-1 SEC) are set to face Arkansas (2-3, 0-2) on October 10 at 4:15 p.m. ET on SEC Network in Fayetteville. This marks Tennessee's first SEC road game of the season. Heupel must determine which quarterback gives his team the best chance to win, but any decision at the position could have ripple effects for the remainder of the season and beyond.
Brandon was a prized recruit for the Volunteers, ranked as the No. 3 quarterback in the 2026 class by 247Sports Composite. MacIntyre, a sophomore, was a highly sought-after four-star recruit in the 2025 class out of Brentwood Academy. In the transfer portal era, teams rarely retain two young talented quarterbacks for multiple seasons, a reality Heupel acknowledged before the season began.
Key Analysis
Is Faizon Brandon healthy enough to perform at a high level? Brandon absorbed significant punishment in a 20-17 loss to No. 1 Texas on September 26. He was sacked 10 times, took vicious hits, and briefly left the game with an apparent right shoulder injury.
Did injuries impact his play against Auburn? Heupel told the ESPN broadcast at halftime that Brandon "wasn't feeling 100%." However, in the postgame press conference, Heupel downplayed the impact of any discomfort Brandon felt. "I don't know that I would say that," Heupel said postgame when asked if Brandon's health affected his performance. "We'll watch a little bit of the tape and see more of it. But we'll go from there." Heupel indicated that MacIntyre received an increased number of first-team reps leading up to the Auburn game. Yet UT never listed Brandon on the SEC availability report, which designates players as probable (75%), questionable (50%), doubtful (25%), or out (0%).
How Faizon Brandon played as starter, got benched: Brandon has completed 60.4% (61-101) of his passes for 697 yards, seven touchdowns, and one interception. He has rushed for 130 yards and three touchdowns, and he has been sacked 16 times. Brandon performed well against Furman, Georgia Tech, and Kennesaw State while getting his feet wet as a college quarterback. He showcased his running ability and protected the ball. However, he didn't take many chances in the passing game and didn't face much pressure against inferior opponents. Brandon's play predictably declined in SEC games against Texas and Auburn, and miscues on the offensive line didn't help. Against Auburn, Brandon showed effects of that Texas game. He was indecisive in the passing game and sometimes bailed out of the pocket prematurely. He was benched in the second quarter with zero passing yards on three completions and minus-9 yards rushing.
How George MacIntyre sparked Tennessee in relief in win: MacIntyre has played in four games this season as Brandon's backup. That included two relief appearances late in UT wins, a brief stint against Texas when Brandon was injured, and the Auburn game to replace an ineffective Brandon. MacIntyre has completed 70% (14-20) of his passes for 148 yards and one touchdown. He doesn't have a rushing attempt this season, and he hasn't been sacked. Against Furman, MacIntyre completed 5 of 7 passes for 56 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. Against Texas, he completed 1 of 3 passes for 6 yards. He didn't attempt a pass against Kennesaw State. MacIntyre showed poise in the pocket after replacing Brandon in the Auburn game. He completed 8 of 10 passes for 86 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions. Extending the pass game also loosened up Auburn's defense, which helped DeSean Bishop rush for a career-high 220 yards and three touchdowns.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter @AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe. Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: What Josh Heupel said about Tennessee football starting quarterback vs Arkansas.
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