The Tennessee Volunteers are expected to start the slightly more experienced George MacIntyre over five-star Faizon Brandon against Arkansas Saturday, On3’s Pete Nakos and Chris Low report.
This comes after the Vols benched Brandon late in the second quarter against Auburn last weekend. Brandon went 3-for-8 for 0 yards and one interception.
MacIntyre to Start Against Arkansas
MacIntyre came in, and the offense looked a lot sharper. He went 8-for-10 for 86 yards, and his consistent passing game allowed the run game to open up, carrying Tennessee to a 24-14 home victory.
MacIntyre, a redshirt freshman, was a four-star recruit and the No. 17 quarterback in the 2025 class, per 247Sports. He played a few snaps against Texas on Sept. 26 after Brandon sustained a minor injury.
What it Means for Brandon
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Brandon is still nursing that shoulder injury from the Texas game, but it’s unknown if that’s the entire reason for the change.
At halftime in the Auburn game, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel told ESPN that “Faizon just wasn’t operating” and “didn’t feel 100 percent,” but Heupel said postgame that he didn’t think Brandon’s injury was the source of his subpar play.
Brandon is one of the youngest players in college football at just 18 years old. He has shown flashes of brilliance but hasn’t put all of the pieces together yet. Despite his lack of high-yardage games, Brandon hasn’t made many mistakes, throwing for just one interception.
With the drop in play and nagging injury, MacIntyre will take over for the time being, and it’s uncertain when or if Brandon will return as the No. 1 option under center.
Tennessee Makes Tough Decision on Five-Star Quarterback for Arkansas Game