newsweek
Tomorrow, Neyland Stadium will be the epicenter of college football as the top-ranked Texas Longhorns face off against the No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers in a crucial SEC battle. Both teams enter the game undefeated, with a challenging conference schedule ahead, making this matchup potentially decisive for the season's outcome.
On Friday, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel appeared on 'The Pat McAfee Show' and offered glowing remarks about the Volunteers' true freshman quarterback, Faizon Brandon. Heupel emphasized Brandon's maturity since arriving on campus in January, saying, 'A young guy that's super mature from the time he got here on campus in January. Great work habits. Prepares in a great way. Has consistently gotten better, and that's dating back to January to spring ball through the summer and into training camp.'
Heupel continued, 'The first three weeks, he has continued to grow. He's taken great care of the football. He's been really decisive. The fundamentals continue to grow inside the pocket. Accuracy continues to get better. We really like what he's doing. Tomorrow he's just got to be him and take another step.'
Key Analysis
Brandon, a Greensboro, North Carolina native, committed to Tennessee in August 2024 as a consensus five-star recruit and the No. 3 quarterback in the 2026 class. He chose the Volunteers over more than two dozen offers, including from Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, and Miami. Despite his elite pedigree, it's rare for an 18-year-old to start at a program like Tennessee, yet Brandon has already emerged as one of the nation's top quarterbacks. Through three games, he has thrown for 552 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions, completing 64.1% of his passes, while adding 137 rushing yards and three rushing scores.
The main reason Brandon remains under the radar for some is that Tennessee hasn't faced a significant challenge yet, with dominant wins over Furman, Georgia Tech, and Kennesaw State. However, a victory over Texas would thrust him into the national spotlight and could accelerate his Heisman Trophy candidacy. No true freshman has ever won the Heisman, though Johnny Manziel won it in 2012 as a redshirt freshman, and Jameis Winston did the same a year later.
Originally reported by newsweek.