Tennessee Vols are the 'early favorite' for elite quarterback recruit

The Tennessee Vols are in a great spot in the battle for one of the top quarterbacks in the 2026 recruiting class.

On3's Steve Wiltfong noted on Thursday that the Vols are the "early favorite" for 2026 four-star quarterback Faizon Brandon.

Brandon, 6-foot-4/185 lbs from Greensboro, NC, is rated by On3 as the No. 1 quarterback in the nation and the No. 2 player in the state of North Carolina. He's also rated as the No. 12 overall player in the 2026 recruiting class.

“My experience at Tennessee was great,” said Brandon to On3 after his visit to Tennessee this past weekend. "I was able to learn more about the system and continue to build a better relationship with Coach (Joey) Halzle and Coach (Josh) Heupel."

One thing working in the Vols' favor in this recruiting battle is the fact that Brandon is from the same city as former Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker.

The two Greensboro natives met up last fall when Brandon was in town for the Vols' win against South Carolina.

Brandon's head coach at Grimsley, Darryl Brown, recently spoke to On3 about the talented quarterback's strengths.

“He has a lot of ability," said Brown. "He has a really strong arm. He’s accurate with it. I’ve never had a quarterback throw it the way he throws it. He can run as well. He does a good job of manipulating the pocket and moving within the pocket to be able to make throws. He has the ability to get outside. We’ll have some designed runs for him, and he’s really strong there as well. He’s really talented. He has the size and speed."

For now, Brandon is hoping to commit later this year after the completion of his junior season.

It sounds like Tennessee could be tough to beat in this recruiting battle.

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