George MacIntyre, Faizon Brandon listed co-starters for Arkansas bout
By Jacob Moss
Published:
The No. 15 Tennessee Volunteers are set for another SEC showdown against the Arkansas Razorbacks in Week 6, and the quarterback situation is at the top of everyone’s mind in Rocky Top.
5-star true freshman Faizon Brandon was benched during the second quarter of the Vols’ Week 5 matchup against Auburn in favor of redshirt freshman backup George MacIntyre, who came in and led the team to a 24-14 victory.
MacIntyre’s performance in the win over the Tigers has led many to wonder who head coach Josh Heupel will end up rolling with against Arkansas. He appears to be playing his cards close to the vest, though, with Tennessee insider Ryan Schumpert reporting on Saturday morning that both quarterbacks have been listed as co-starters on the official depth chart.
A North Carolina native, Brandon was one of the highest-rated quarterback recruits to ever sign with Tennessee. He beat out MacIntyre in fall camp to earn the starting role in his first season on campus, but he’s been very up and down through the first 5 weeks of play.
A highly rated recruit in his own right, MacIntyre redshirted in 2025 behind former Volunteers gun slinger Joey Aguilar. That extra year in Heupel’s system appears to have given him a bit more poise and confidence in the pocket, as was apparent in Week 5 against Auburn.
It will be interesting to see who Heupel ends up turning to during the first drive against the Hogs, and how much playing time each guy ends up getting against an outmatched Arkansas squad.
