Faison Brandon He was eliminated before his junior season.
Brandon, one of the elite passers in the 2026 recruiting cycle out of Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley High School, has been announced Tennessee Saturday. The Vols beat out Alabama, LSU and NC State to land Rivals250’s eighth-ranked quarterback next year.
After a series of visits over the summer and over the past week, Brandon is convinced he’s best suited for Rocky Top, surrounded by coaches including Josh Hueple and Joey Halzellthey believed he was a prospect early on.
“I love the lively environment here,” Brandon said opponent. “It’s a great environment there with a lot of good people. When I went there, I was reminded of how strongly I felt about the program. The coaches, players and people around me all had great things to say. “
Brandon is very familiar with the ins and outs of Knoxville.
The Rivals250 quarterback has returned about six times since joining Huppert and the offensive staff last summer and receiving offers in the process, including last weekend before making his college decision.
Tennessee wasted no time in recruiting Brandon and never gave up in its pursuit of the elite quarterback from Carolina.
“They saw my potential early on… they showed belief in me when I had a good training camp and didn’t have a lot of film,” Brandon asserted.
It’s a relationship that has only blossomed and changed over the past year.
Brandon developed strong ties with SEC rivals Alabama and LSU, and NC State never let up in its pursuit of keeping the four-star quarterback in-state.
Heupel has a proven track record offensively, especially at the quarterback position. These are among the most important factors as Brandon prepares to make a decision before the start of his junior year.
“This is a really good program,” Brandon said. “Coach Heupel is a very good coach. I was able to talk to him and he had a lot of good things to say, a lot of wisdom to share, and he’s a great guy to coach. Coach Hazel taught me a lot of good things. .
“The development there brought a lot of attention to them. That’s a big thing I like about them and the environment and support system they have around their coaches. It’s a really good program.”
