2026 5-star QB Faizon Brandon commits to Tennessee: 'The feeling for them was different and it never changed'

Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley quarterback Faizon Brandon gave local program NC State a strong look, but the five-star knew he wanted to play in the SEC. Alabama and LSU were high on his list, but the No. 10 prospect in the 2026 On3 Industry Ranking committed to Tennessee.

Josh Heupel, Joey Halzle and the staff in Knoxville put a lot of time and effort into getting to know Brandon and it paid off in the end.

“I started feeling Tennessee a while ago,” Brandon told On3. “They started recruiting me early, and the first impression they made on me was unlike any other. The staff recruited me hard from the get-go, they kept it steady with me and they pushed so hard to get me. All of that made an impact on why I picked them.”

It started last summer between Brandon and Tennessee. The Vols offered right before his sophomore year and they were the first SEC school on his list. He started visiting games at Neyland Stadium last season and the feeling he had then never changed.

“It just felt like home. From the beginning, I liked it a lot at Tennessee. I kept going back and it felt like home from the start. I think I have visited six or seven times now, and I kept getting that good feeling every time I was there.

“It wasn’t an easy decision, but I knew it was Tennessee. The feeling for them was different and it never changed. My relationships with coaches on both sides of the ball and the support system make it feel like home at Tennessee.”

The Tennessee staff built a different type of connection with Brandon

Alabama was Tennessee’s top competition. After a visit to Tuscaloosa late in June, the Crimson Tide made the race a little tighter. But in July, with all the phone calls and Zoom meetings, Tennessee kept building their lead in this race and the staff had a lot to do with Brandon’s final decision.

“The relationships with the coaches at Tennessee were different,” Brandon said. “It doesn’t matter what coach on which side of the ball, I can talk to anybody about anything on the whole staff.

“The leader is coach Heupel. He is great at what he does and everyone wants to follow him. He is so level-headed and grounded. How he played quarterback played a big role in my decision too. Coach Heupel knows what quarterbacks want, what they need and how to develop them. The development under coach Heupel makes me feel like I can become a great player under him and the staff.

“Then coach Halzle is a great teacher. He knows how to teach the offense and make sure his quarterbacks understand. He makes it easy to learn and I really like how he teaches and talks to his players. It is going to be fun to work with him and learn from him.”

Brandon sees the Vols winning a lot of games in front of a great fan base

Heupel has a lot of excitement around Knoxville. With the direction of the team and the recruiting classes Tennessee is putting together, Brandon is looking forward to being part of the program.

“Coach Heupel is building the team to compete with the best,” Brandon said. “The players are coming in with the right mindset and that is going to pay off. Tennessee makes their players earn everything and I love the mind-set of the the team and the program.

“Coach Heupel and the whole staff has a great plan. They know what it takes to win and Tennessee is going to up there as one of the best very soon.”

If the Vols continue to win games and knock off some of the top programs in the SEC, the fans inside Neyland Stadium will be rocking. That is something else Brandon is excited about.

“The environment and fan base at Tennessee are surreal. I have been to three games and the stadium is loud and the fans are intense. The fans love the players and are really behind the team. I love it there and it will be so cool to play in front of fans like that.”