Examining the Movie: Brandon Faizon Grabbing Tennessee’s Attention The Tennessee Volunteers have been associated with early 2026 four-star quarterback Faizon Brandon (Greensboro, N.C.) from a very early stage of his recruitment.
Over the weekend, quarterback Faizon Brandon of Grimsley High School traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee, for their junior day for the fourth time. The North Carolina native has offers from Alabama, Florida State, Michigan, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and more after scoring 45 touchdowns in his sophomore campaign.
Thus far, Josh Heupel, the head coach of Tennessee, and the entire offensive staff have left a lasting impression on the gifted gunslinger. Both sides appear to be interested in the other, as Heupel has shown. He wants to sign exceptional quarterbacks and is prepared to work hard to find them early on so he can devote a lot of attention to them during their four years of high school.
As per 247Sports’ rankings, Brandon is ranked 74th in the 2026 class of prospects. I analyzed the footage to see why the Vols have shown such early interest in him, considering that he is the sixth-best quarterback in his class.
Arm Power
Tennessee’s quarterback room is full of huge arms. Heupel and his staff intend to push the ball vertically, so the quarterback needs to be able to rip it. That’s why their wide receivers are positioned outside the numbers. Brandon is able to make those cross-hash, “big-boy” throws because of his pace-and-space offensive scheme. He has excellent control over the arc of his football and can place the ball away from defenders and down the sideline. Although Brandon doesn’t rip it into windows very often, he can and will if the chance arises.
Contextual Presence
You never really get the hang of the pocket art. NFL quarterbacks work to hone their pocket skills over the offseason; there are several levels to proficiency. Though every quarterback’s journey is not over yet, Brandon has laid a solid foundation in his first two years of high school. Every action is deliberate; even when he accelerates his dropback to counter red zone pressure, his footwork is in sync, and he hits every release milestone with consistency. Brandon isn’t scared to take a hit and won’t let it stop him from throwing.
Expectation
The offensive strategy of Tennessee is all about timing: when you think there can’t be any more, it happens again. You can’t succeed as a quarterback in this scheme if you can’t throw the ball with anticipation. This season at Grimsley High School, Brandon developed a close relationship with each of his pass catchers and demonstrated his ability to place the ball in the ideal area before his target broke free. That speaks volumes: it’s a very encouraging indicator when a young quarterback can mentally defend a defense in presnap, see them change after the snap, get a sense of their movement, and choose the best window to throw the ball into.
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