Three games into his college career, Tennessee freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon has yet to throw an interception.
However, keeping that streak alive is about to get a lot harder.
The freshman will make his Southeastern Conference debut Saturday when No. 14 Tennessee hosts No. 1 Texas at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. The early kickoff will mark the first meeting between the programs since 1968 — and easily the biggest stage Brandon has seen as a football player.
But Brandon has hardly looked overwhelmed after earning the starting job in an offseason competition against sophomore quarterback George MacIntyre.
In his collegiate debut against Furman, Brandon had a 76.5% completion rate for 226 yards and three touchdowns while adding 68 rushing yards and two more scores. His five debut touchdowns tied Tennessee’s freshman record, and the performance earned him SEC Freshman of the Week honors. A two-touchdown performance in the 45-24 win over Georgia Tech in week two won him the honors yet again.
Through the Volunteers’ 3–0 start, the former five-star recruit has completed 41 of 64 passes for 552 yards and six touchdowns, all without ever putting the ball into the hands of the other team. He has also given Tennessee another weapon on the ground, having rushed for 137 yards and three scores.
“He’s got real good command; he’s been really decisive with the football,” Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said about Brandon. “You get into conference play, you’re going to grow and evolve every week.”
At Grimsley High School in Greensboro, North Carolina, Brandon accumulated a 35–1 record as a starting quarterback while only conceding one interception for every 98 throwing attempts. The 247Sports Composite ranked Brandon as the No. 3 quarterback and No. 10 overall recruit for the 2026 class.
Andrew Ivins, director of scouting at 247Sports, wrote last December that Brandon has the potential to be a “catalyst for multiple College Football Playoff runs,” showing the caliber expected of Brandon before he ever stepped foot onto campus this fall. So when he took to the field under those Neyland Stadium lights, the Volunteer faithful were ready to watch the teenager command his team.
“(I’ve been) really trying to let the game come to me and not do anything extra,” Brandon said after the week three win against Kennesaw State.
Yet looking across the line of scrimmage to see the No. 1-ranked team is a new challenge for Brandon. The Longhorns, who have recorded five sacks and 19 tackles for loss through three games, will threaten a new level of defensive physicality and athleticism.
He won’t have to beat Texas by himself. Senior running back DeSean Bishop has already rushed for 286 yards, while junior wide receiver Mike Matthews leads Tennessee with 189 receiving yards in Heupel’s dynamic offense.
But against the nation’s No. 1 team, Tennessee may need its freshman quarterback to give a little extra, rather than just playing comfortably. He’s in the starting job — but on Saturday, Brandon faces his first true test.
