The University of Tennessee football program has been searching for a mainstay at the quarterback position since coach Josh Heupel took over in 2021. The Volunteers might’ve finally found their man in freshman Faizon Brandon.
Standing 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, Brandon certainly looks the part of a starting SEC quarterback. On the field, he’s off to a dazzling start after a lengthy position battle with sophomore George MacIntyre this offseason.
Through three games, against Furman, Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State, Brandon has played like someone who can lift an offense and be the catalyst for a strong season.
His strong start is promising, but as Tennessee embarks on SEC play this Saturday against No. 1 Texas, he’ll need to prove this is just the beginning of what he and what his team can achieve on the field.
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Tennessee’s Faizon Brandon: By the Numbers
Through three games, Brandon has played like a top-half SEC quarterback.
He’s completed 64.1% of his passes and notched positive EPA/play (0.43) and EPA/pass (0.31) figures, per Hudl IQ. He’s also posted a 50.7% pass success percentage and has generated chunk plays 23.2% of the time, both above-league-average marks, per Hudl IQ. While being a positive influence on the offense, he’s also done an excellent job of protecting the ball while simultaneously stress-testing the defense with solid accuracy.
Heupel offenses are known for being incredibly quarterback-friendly. Wide receivers routinely line up with wide splits, and plays are designed to create wide-open throwing windows. But even so, what Brandon has done so far is impressive for a freshman.
One area of Brandon’s game that could stand to improve is his downfield accuracy.
As noted by the above pass placement chart from Hudl IQ, some of Brandon’s incompletions have come from inaccurate downfield passes. The stats bear this out, with Brandon posting a -2.9 completion percentage over expectation (CPOE), which means he completed passes at a lower rate than expected given the difficulty of his throws.
Don’t worry, Vols fans. He’ll likely improve his downfield accuracy with more reps and a better connection with his receiving core. Heupel also tends to have a great feel for what his quarterbacks do and don’t do well. With more reps and familiarity with his receiving core and coach, it’s not unreasonable to see more catchable passes on deeper downfield attempts.
Faizon Brandon Will Face Tougher Defenses in SEC Play
This Saturday afternoon, Tennessee welcomes top-ranked Texas to Neyland Stadium in one of the most interesting matchups of a loaded college football slate.
Brandon has played well through three games against an FCS team, a Group of 6 team and an FBS foe with a poor defensive track record so far. But the Longhorns’ defense will be a completely different animal.
Led by veteran defensive playcaller Will Muschamp, I suspect the Texas defense will attempt to apply pressure early and often in hopes of rattling the young quarterback.
Through three games, the Texas secondary has played well, outside of two quarters against Ohio State and the best player in college football, Jeremiah Smith. In the second half of that megatilt against the Buckeyes, the Longhorns held up well in pass coverage and made life difficult for quarterback Julian Sayin.
This Saturday, Brandon will face the toughest test of his young career. He’ll be asked to stand tall in the face of pressure and push the ball downfield more than ever before.
But if the start of his season is anything to go by, the Volunteers have a decent shot at making things hard on the Texas defense. And if so, a good game (or dare I say a win) would go a long way in cementing Brandon as the face of the Volunteers football program moving forward.
