Nashville Christian School quarterback Jared Curtis made a splash in the recruiting world when he chose SEC football over Big Ten football with a commitment to Georgia over Oregon on Monday.
The 6-foot-3.5 quarterback ranks as a five-star player and the top prospect in the Volunteer State, according to 247Sports’ 2026 Rankings. The outlet also has Curtis ranked as the No. 13 player in the class and the No. 4 quarterback overall.
While some on social media shared concerns about an in-state player going to Georgia, Tennessee already has its highly-touted quarterback commit in the 2026 class.
Quarterback Faizon Brandon committed to Tennessee in August 2024, planting himself as a cornerstone of the class that head coach Josh Heupel put together. 247Sports’ rankings are the highest on Brandon, slotting him in as the No. 1 player in the 2026 rankings.
According to ESPN’s Tom Luginbill last week, Brandon remains in “near-daily” contact with Tennessee and isn’t speaking with other programs. Instead, Luginbill says that Brandon has been “focused instead on helping recruit” more talent to the Vols’ 2026 class.
As a junior at Grimsley High School in 2024, Brandon led the Whirlies to an undefeated 16-0 record and the North Carolina 4A State Championship. In that 35-23 title win, Brandon threw for 182 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception on 8-of-10 passing with an average of 22.8 yards per completion. He also ran the ball nine times for 37 yards and a touchdown, according to MaxPreps.
Brandon showed off his championship bling on social media on Monday, the same day that Curtis committed to Georgia.
Yessir!! 💍🥶 pic.twitter.com/jie4Ey2Bz8
— Faizon Brandon (@faizon_brandon) May 6, 2025
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As a junior, the 6-foot-3.5 quarterback threw for 2,814 yards, 35 touchdowns, and three interceptions on 76.6% passing. Brandon’s best throwing game saw him toss for 249 yards on 17-of-21 passing, while his most accurate game was a 13-for-13 clinic with 186 passing yards and two passing touchdowns.
Brandon has a great build, is an accurate passer, and has a live arm when getting the ball downfield – all traits to be successful in a Josh Heupel offense.
“Several recent Volunteers quarterbacks have similar stature, athleticism and arm strength,” Luginbill wrote in his evaluation of the Vols’ QB commit. “Brandon is more advanced than Hendon Hooker at the same stage and the pair share several traits. Brandon is also much more accurate than Joe Milton. While he lacks Iamaleava’s polish at this stage, Brandon throws an exceptional deep ball, which is a requirement in this scheme that loves to attack vertically.”
Since Brandon’s commitment to Tennessee last fall, the Vols have been able to land a handful of good offensive pieces, such as four-star Knoxville Catholic wide receiver Tyreek King, four-star Nashville tight end Carson Sneed, three-star 6-foot-3 wide receiver Tyran Evans, and four-star Chattanooga offensive tackle Gabriel Osenda. Tennessee’s class has been jumped by several teams in recent weeks, though, and now comes in at No. 25 in 247 Sports’ updated team rankings.
As Brandon heads into his senior season this fall, Tennessee will go into fall camp at the same time with a quarterback battle consisting of UCLA/App State transfer Joey Aguilar, rising redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger, and true freshman George MacIntyre. Tennessee could have a wide-open QB battle heading into Brandon’s first collegiate season if Aguilar wins it, but they could also be returning a starter if Merklinger or MacIntyre were to win the job or finish the season with it. All that to say, there’s a lot to play out over the next few years, and Brandon has the ability to capitalize on it.
Here’s a look at the talent that Faizon Brandon is bringing to Knoxville with him:
Faizon Brandon 2023 Highlights (Pre-Tennessee Commitment)
