Faizon Brandon started the first five games of the season but was replaced by George MacIntyre in the first half against Auburn. MacIntyre has since started the last three games.
This has led to a weekly debate about who will start for Tennessee , as some believe the reason Brandon hasn't had the opportunity to start is due to getting back from injury.
Now, the Vols have a bye week, allowing another week for Heupel and co. to make a decision ahead of taking on a top-10-ranked Kentucky team.
Both have made compelling arguments to be the starter going forward, so here is an argument for each, and you can decide for yourself who you would start.
Tennessee quarterback Faizon Brandon (11) during a college football game between Tennessee and Arkansas at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark., on Oct. 10, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Brandon was a five-star recruit in the 2026 class. He was also Coach Heupel's choice after months of offseason competition, so Heupel obviously sees something in him.
He started out 3-0 as a starter, including a very impressive performance in his first career start against Furman, in which he totaled five touchdowns.
His first big test came against Texas. He struggled out of the gate and was taken out of the game in the second quarter with an injury. He fought through this injury and ended up completing 17 out of 29 passes for 146 yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions.
A lot of people were disappointed in how he played in the game, but taking a deeper look than just a box score, was he that bad? He is a true freshman, and that was his first real test, and it came against the number one team in the country. And it's not like his offensive line was helping out; Colin Simmons alone had five sacks. Not to mention, he was injured and fought through the pain, almost leading Tennessee to a comeback win.
He was benched against Auburn, still struggling with the injury he suffered the week before.
He has also thrown seven touchdowns to MacIntyre's two and has only thrown one interception to MacIntyre's three.
Tennessee quarterback George MacIntyre (12) dumps the ball off to Tennessee wide receiver Radarious Jackson (3) during a college football game between Tennessee and South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C., on Oct. 24, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
MacIntyre is a local kid and grew up a Vols fan. He finally got his shot to start for one of his childhood teams when he took over for Brandon in the first half against Auburn.
He would go on to lead Tennessee to a win against Auburn (who took down Georgia just a few weeks later). He would also lead Tennessee to wins over Arkansas and Alabama in the following weeks.
He suffered his first loss as a starter last Saturday against South Carolina.
In those games, he has shown that he is more than capable of being a solid starter in the future. He is also more accurate than Brandon, completing 67% of his passes compared to Brandon's 60.4%.
Although Brandon has thrown more touchdowns and fewer interceptions than MacIntyre, MacIntyre seems to be coming into his own, becoming more comfortable week by week.
So who do you think will get the start against Kentucky?
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/tennessee as Making a Case for George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon to Start vs. Kentucky .
