This week’s class of 2026 recruiting update from 247Sports saw plenty of changes, but one of those didn’t come at the top of the list.
Tennessee quarterback commit Faizon Brandon remained the No. 1 prospect in 247’s 2026 rankings this week. Brandon first earned the top overall ranking in April 2024 and has now held that spot for over a year.
The 6-foot-3.5, 200-pound quarterback prospect committed to Tennessee in August 2024, becoming the first cornerstone piece in the Vols’ 2026 class. Brandon has elite quarterback traits and projects to fit well inside of Josh Heupel’s system.
But while there’s plenty of optimism around his fit on Rocky Top, his play on the field at Grimsley High School in Greensboro, NC, is what makes him such a standout recruit. In his junior season 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.
Yessir!! 💍🥶 pic.twitter.com/jie4Ey2Bz8
— Faizon Brandon (@faizon_brandon) May 6, 2025
Grimsley’s 2024 campaign saw Brandon throw for 2,814 yards, 35 touchdowns, and three interceptions on 76.6% passing on the way to the state championship title. In one game, Brandon threw for 186 yards on a perfect 13-for-13 passing in a blistering win for the Whirlies.
“Several recent Volunteers quarterbacks have similar stature, athleticism and arm strength,” ESPN’s Tom Luginbill wrote in a recent 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 [Nico] Iamaleava’s polish at this stage, Brandon throws an exceptional deep ball, which is a requirement in this scheme that loves to attack vertically.”
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Brandon, because of his ranking and his position, is the jewel of Tennessee’s class so far, but 247’s rankings updates also saw a major boost for another Volunteer commit, this time from right here in the state.
Tennessee offensive tackle commit Gabriel Osenda (Baylor School, Chattanooga, TN) was bumped up from a four-star to a five-star in the rankings update. The jump also saw Osenda move from the No. 70 overall player to the No. 19 overall player, giving Tennessee two Top 20 commitments here in the spring, according to 247’s services.
“God is good all the time and all the time God is good!” Osenda posted on X this week, reacting to the news.
