Tennessee quarterback commit Faizon Brandon my just be a junior in high school but the Navy All-American Game invited him to participate in its practices this week in San Antonio before Saturday’s game.
The five-star Tennessee commit shined in his work on the practice field in San Antonio despite just being a junior. In fact, 247sports released an “All-Combine team” for the event with a few other accolades given to certain players.
Brandon is one of those players with 247sports giving him their “Alpha Dog” honor for the week of practice.
“Brandon absolutely lived up to his billing as the No. 1-ranked prospect in the class of 2026,” 247sports Andrew Ivens wrote. “So much so that we would argue he’s the most talented recruit to actually work out at the National Combine since Trevor Lawerence back in 2017. Brandon displayed a live arm during drills and was accurate to all three levels. He then showcased some nice touch during 1-on-1s and was able to throw his targets open.”
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247sports own rankings have Brandon as not only the top quarterback but the top overall player in the 2026 recruiting cycle. While other recruiting sites are slightly lower on Brandon, he still ranks as a five-star recruit and the No. 3 player in the country according to the 247sports composite rankings.
Brandon also ranks as the No. 1 quarterback and the No. 1 player in the state of North Carolina according to the composite rankings. The 6-foot-3 quarterback didn’t do anything but back up his ranking this week in San Antonio.
“Having had a chance to scout some of our other early five-star prospects in the 2026 cycle up close and in person the past few weeks, we are more confident that we have the right player at the top of the board,” Ivens wrote.
Brandon committed to Tennessee in August over a top group that included Alabama, North Carolina State and LSU. North Carolina has been pursuing Brandon hard ever since since Bill Belichick landed the Tar Heels’ head coaching job last month.
A Greensboro native, Brandon led Grimsley High School to a 16-0 record and a 4A State Championship during his junior season. He’s one eight commits and the cornerstone of Tennessee’s 2026 recruiting class.