Why 5-star Tennessee freshman Faizon Brandon craves critiques from coaches
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Why 5-star Tennessee freshman Faizon Brandon craves critiques from coaches
Adam Sparks, Knoxville News Sentinel·Knox News | The Knoxville News-Sentinel
·
4 min read
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Freshman quarterbackFaizon Brandonis so starved for constructive criticism that he tries to borrow it from other players.
"I'm trying to learn as much as possible and take coaching the right way," Brandon said on March 17 during the second day ofTennessee footballspring practice.
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"And when the coaches are coaching somebody else, I try to listen to what they're saying too. I try to soak everything in so I can make myself better."
It's music to the ears of UT coaches, especially considering Brandon is already a five-star quarterback with immense physical skills. His eagerness to learn speaks to a humility that many blue-chip prospects lack.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel with Tennessee quarterback George MacIntyre (15) and offensive coordinator Joey Halzle during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
Tennessee wide receiver TK Keys (80) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
Tennessee offensive lineman Ory Williams (77) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
Tennessee strength coach Derek Owings, second from right, during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel with the quarterbacks during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
Tennessee wide receiver Travis Smith Jr. (1) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop (18) and Tennessee running back Justin Baker (20) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel talks with Tennessee wide receiver TK Keys (80) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
Tennessee quarterback George MacIntyre (15) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
Tennessee running back Javin Gordon (21) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
Tennessee defensive back Dejuan Lane (23) and Tennessee linebacker Jeremiah Telander (22) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
Tennessee defensive back Kayin Lee (20) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
Tennessee defensive back Qua Moss (19) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
Tennessee quarterback George MacIntyre (15) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel with Tennessee defensive back Javonte Smith (30) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel with the quarterbacks during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
Tennessee linebacker Brayden Rouse (52) and Tennessee linebacker Amare Campbell (55) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
Tennessee defensive back Tevis Metcalf (48) and Tennessee defensive back Qua Moss (19) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
Tennessee defensive back Qua Moss (19) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
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See photos of Tennessee Vols football practice on March 17, 2026
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel with Tennessee quarterback George MacIntyre (15) and offensive coordinator Joey Halzle during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
1/21
See photos of Tennessee Vols football practice on March 17, 2026
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel with Tennessee quarterback George MacIntyre (15) and offensive coordinator Joey Halzle during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
2/21
See photos of Tennessee Vols football practice on March 17, 2026
Tennessee wide receiver TK Keys (80) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
3/21
See photos of Tennessee Vols football practice on March 17, 2026
Tennessee offensive lineman Ory Williams (77) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
4/21
See photos of Tennessee Vols football practice on March 17, 2026
Tennessee strength coach Derek Owings, second from right, during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
5/21
See photos of Tennessee Vols football practice on March 17, 2026
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel with the quarterbacks during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
6/21
See photos of Tennessee Vols football practice on March 17, 2026
Tennessee wide receiver Travis Smith Jr. (1) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
7/21
See photos of Tennessee Vols football practice on March 17, 2026
Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop (18) and Tennessee running back Justin Baker (20) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
8/21
See photos of Tennessee Vols football practice on March 17, 2026
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel talks with Tennessee wide receiver TK Keys (80) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
9/21
See photos of Tennessee Vols football practice on March 17, 2026
Tennessee quarterback George MacIntyre (15) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
10/21
See photos of Tennessee Vols football practice on March 17, 2026
Tennessee running back Javin Gordon (21) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
11/21
See photos of Tennessee Vols football practice on March 17, 2026
Tennessee defensive back Dejuan Lane (23) and Tennessee linebacker Jeremiah Telander (22) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
12/21
See photos of Tennessee Vols football practice on March 17, 2026
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
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See photos of Tennessee Vols football practice on March 17, 2026
Tennessee defensive back Kayin Lee (20) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
14/21
See photos of Tennessee Vols football practice on March 17, 2026
Tennessee defensive back Qua Moss (19) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
15/21
See photos of Tennessee Vols football practice on March 17, 2026
Tennessee quarterback George MacIntyre (15) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
16/21
See photos of Tennessee Vols football practice on March 17, 2026
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel with Tennessee defensive back Javonte Smith (30) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
17/21
See photos of Tennessee Vols football practice on March 17, 2026
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel with the quarterbacks during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
18/21
See photos of Tennessee Vols football practice on March 17, 2026
Tennessee linebacker Brayden Rouse (52) and Tennessee linebacker Amare Campbell (55) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
19/21
See photos of Tennessee Vols football practice on March 17, 2026
Tennessee defensive back Tevis Metcalf (48) and Tennessee defensive back Qua Moss (19) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
20/21
See photos of Tennessee Vols football practice on March 17, 2026
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
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See photos of Tennessee Vols football practice on March 17, 2026
Tennessee defensive back Qua Moss (19) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026.
(Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel)
Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle gladly critiques the footwork and passing mechanics of Brandon, who listens intently. It's hard to find much wrong with the gifted quarterback's game. But every minor correction gets Brandon closer to cracking the lineup.
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"I never take it in a bad way. I see it as something that can make me better," Brandon said. "On the next rep that I have, I try to apply what (coaches) said."
What makes Faizon Brandon a 'freak of nature'
Tennesseecoaches plan to push Brandon hard in spring to determine his limitations. If he can correct mistakes, learn the offense and adjust to the speed of the college game, he could challenge for thestarting quarterback position.
"You have to force feed those guys (the playbook) and expose them to what you're going to need during the course of the fall," Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said.
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Redshirt freshmanGeorge MacIntyreand Colorado transferRyan Staubare Brandon'scompetition. MacIntyre has a head-start in the system, spending the last year in UT's offense. Staub has some game experience, including two starts at Colorado.
But Brandon has a tremendous upside.
He was ranked the No. 3 quarterback in the 2026 class by 247Sports Composite. He accounted for 7,635 yards of total offense and 100 touchdowns in his high school career. And he posted a 35-1 record as a starter, including back-to-back state titles for Grimsley High in Greensboro, North Carolina.
"Faizon is just, wow, kind of a freak of nature," Staub said. "He's impressive. He's got raw ability, raw arm strength. And he's smart. He's learning this offense, and it's not easy. I've learned a lot of offenses in my time, and it's not easy."
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How Brandon could stay in QB race into preseason
Brandon checked one of the two boxes toward becoming UT's starting quarterback the moment he stepped on campus. The athletic 6-foot-4, 215-pounder has the size and physical tools to play in the SEC immediately.
"He is physically ready. He's a big, strong kid. He could handle what it would take to go play 17 games in this conference," Halzle said. "The next part is, mentally, how's he grasping it?"
Checking that second box is a tough task for any quarterback, especially a freshman. It should take Brandon all of spring practice, summer film study and the preseason to grasp enough of the offense to challenge for the starting job.
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First, Brandon must handle the growing pains of his first few practices.
"The first five days, man, is really hard," Heupel said. "The second five days, it gets a little bit better. When you get to the third five days, he's typically a much different football player than where he started.
"If it's not trending that way, then that's an area of concern of how quickly he can continue to progress by the time we get to (preseason) training camp."
When asked if he's charting his progress in those five-day increments, Brandon said his focus is much tighter.
"I take it day by day and just try to learn," Brandon said. "I go out there to make everybody better. I feel like when everybody is competing, it makes the whole room better. Then we'll just see where it leads us."
