Class of 2026 quarterback Faizon Brandon has been committed to Tennessee for nearly a full year now.
If you’re any bit plugged into Tennessee recruiting news, you’ve heard all about this kid.
You’ve heard about the big arm and pinpoint accuracy that he displayed at the Elite 11 camp this past summer. You’ve heard about him leading Grimsley High School to the North Carolina State Championship title as a junior during the 2024 season.
You probably know that he’s the No. 1 overall prospect in 247Sports’ 2026 rankings, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if you were a bit upset at Rivals dropping the UT commit to a four-star prospect in their combined rankings with On3 Sports this past week.
All that to say, Brandon has been all over the news wire for the last year.
Brandon is an exceptional talent in the 2026 class and looks the part of the type of quarterback who has the right tools to succeed in Josh Heupel’s offense. Heupel’s unit works best with a high-IQ quarterback who can make intermediate and deep throws down the field and can also escape the pocket using his legs and quick decision-making. From all reports, that’s the tale of the tape on Brandon.
ESPN’s Billy Tucker recently went through and named his Top 25 prospects, regardless of class, for the 2026, 2027, and 2028 prospects.
Brandon lands at No. 12 in Tucker’s rankings, coming in as the eighth-ranked prospect in the 2026 cycle. He’s also the third-highest quarterback behind Texas commit Dia Bell (No. 5) and Georgia commit Jared Curtis (No. 8).
“Brandon picks apart defenses with precision,” Tucker writes. “The Tennessee commit threw for more than 2,100 yards, 27 touchdowns and had just one interception as a junior. The 6-4 quarterback shows strong pocket presence on film and delivers an excellent deep ball. Brandon processes defenses and reads the entire field quickly, especially on broken plays, which helps him limit turnovers. His decision-making and ability to push the ball downfield make him a strong fit for Josh Heupel’s offense.”
More From RTI: Tennessee Commit Bumped To Four-Star In Latest Recruiting Rankings Update
Brandon has been the cornerstone of the Tennessee class since his commitment to the Vols last August. He spent a good portion of the last year trying to help Tennessee recruit other top talent into the class, helping land players such as five-star offensive tackle Gabriel Osenda, four-star wide receiver Tyreek King, and three-star athlete Legend Bey.
He’s also reportedly working hard to bring in two elite prospects in the 2026 cycle with five-star LSU commit Tristen Keys and top-ranked running back Savion Hiter.
Keys, meanwhile, lands as the No. 18 prospect in Tucker’s combined rankings.
“There might be faster receivers on this list, but few can match Keys’ combination of length and ball skills,” Tucker writes of Keys. “The 6-3, 190-pound Mississippi native has a knack for hauling in anything thrown his way. He’s comfortable lining up in various spots across the formation and using his size and catch radius to his advantage. His body control on contested catches helps compensate for any limitations in short-area quickness.”
While the rankings between 247Sports and Rivals might be 33 spots different, there’s no question that Brandon isn’t just an elite prospect in the class, but he also has the tools to be the right fit for what Josh Heupel and Joey Halzle want to do in Knoxville. No one will remember the rankings slip if (or when) he starts to ball out in Neyland Stadium.
Check out Billy Tucker’s full list for ESPN here.
