Tennessee is gearing up for its first SEC road contest of the season, but it will likely be doing so with a new starting quarterback behind center.
Freshman Faizon Brandon sustained a shoulder injury during the Volunteers’ defeat to Texas two weeks ago, and he attempted to play through it early against Auburn before being sidelined.
Redshirt-freshman George McIntyre stepped into the game and performed admirably, and he may be counted upon again when his team takes on Arkansas this week.
On the SEC’s initial Wednesday injury reports, Brandon was listed as ‘questionable,’ a negative sign for his hopes of suiting up Saturday.
A highly touted recruit out of Greensboro, North Carolina, Brandon impressed through much of his first three games, but an aggressive Texas front seven lived in the backfield and made his life difficult in late September.
Now McIntyre, an in-state product out of Franklin, Tennessee, will be tasked with leading the Vols to a much-needed win in Fayetteville.
The last time Josh Heupel & Co. visited the Razorbacks, they were upset as a top-10 team in 2024, falling 19-14.
Tennessee and Arkansas will kick off at 4:15 p.m. ET, with the game being broadcast by SEC Network.
Parker is currently the sports editor for Gulf Coast Media in Foley, Alabama. He's a graduate from Mizzou who has experience covering the Tiger football and basketball beats for SB Nation, and he's worked for a variety of sports news outlets in the past.
