Tennessee landed a massive commitment to the 2026 class on Saturday afternoon.
Class of 2026 quarterback Faizon Brandon announced his commitment to Tennessee on 247 Sports’ YouTube page on Saturday to give Josh Heupel his first commit in the cycle.
Brandon is ranked as the top overall prospect and a five-star quarterback in 247’s initial 2026 rankings. The blue-chip quarterback holds a four-star rating according to On3, Rivals, and ESPN’s initial rankings, and is listed as the No. 30 overall player, the No. 4 quarterback, and the No. 3 player from the state of North Carolina according to 247’s composite rankings.
Brandon is a tremendous quarterback prospect without a ceiling to his game. The 6-foot-3.5, 197-pound quarterback has demonstrated a high level of play at the position despite his young age. Brandon took over the starting position as just a sophomore in 2023 and led Grimsley High School to the North Carolina 4A State quarterfinals this past season. Brandon led his team to a 13-1 record with three straight playoff wins before losing to the region’s one-seed in the quarterfinal round.
Brandon is also a multi-sport athlete for the Whirlies as he shows natural athleticism in competition. The sophomore forward averaged more than 11 points and 7 rebounds per game for his high school last season.
“Accurate to the numbers, and has found plenty of success attacking the intermediate level, but deep ball placement can be a bit uneven,” 247 director of scouting Andrew Ivins evaluated of Brandon in April. “Effective on designed runs with his acceleration and his natural twitch in both the upper and lower halves is ideal for run-pass options. Certainly benefited from throwing to a pair of Power Four wide receivers in his first year as a starter, but game tape shows a potential game-breaker at the next level that’s just starting to scratch the surface of what he could be, especially when you factor that he’s younger for the grade.”
Josh Heupel and his staff have now had a blue-chip quarterback commit in the last four recruiting classes with Nico Iamaleava, Jake Merklinger, George MacIntyre, and now Faizon Brandon. But it doesn’t take long to realize that Brandon certainly has an “it factor” to his game.
More from RTI: Tennessee Lands Nation’s Top 2026 Prospect Faizon Brandon
Check out some of the highlights from Faizon Brandon during his sophomore season at Grimsley High School after his commitment to Tennessee on Saturday afternoon:
Faizon Brandon Highlights – Tennessee 2026 Quarterback Commit
