Josh Heupel explains what Tennessee is looking for from its starting QB
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Have you heard this one? Tennessee football is still undecided on who its quarterback will be heading into the 2026 season.
We won’t know for a few weeks, either. On Monday while speaking at SEC Media Days, Vols head coach Josh Heupel told a room of reporters that true freshman Faizon Brandon and returner George MacIntyre will each have to go out and earn the job when fall camp kicks off.
A little later, Heupel was asked to elaborate on the factors that will go into the decision from his point of view. In other words: What is he looking for in his 2026 QB?
Here’s what he had to say:
“I don’t think there is just one thing at the quarterback position. That guy’s got his hands on the football every single play. You have to learn how to take care and manage the game,” Heupel said. “Catastrophic plays are the difference in this league. When you play so many one-possession games, it comes down to taking care of the football at times.”
“They have to play on a competitive edge, distribute the football, get it to your play-makers on time and accurately where they have a chance to make a play afterwards,” Heupel continued. “You have to have complete control and command of what we’re doing offensively. You got to understand protections, you got to be able to check and adjust. Run game, loaded box checks. Those guys are making the decision on every play. At the end of the day the guy that will be the guy is the guy that’s going to have complete control of what we’re doing and puts us in the best position to win football games and score points.”
That’s a very Josh Heupel type of answer, but it’s hard to argue his consistency. While Joe Milton and Nico Iamaleava were not perfect quarterbacks for Tennessee, both (especially Milton) excelled at protecting the football — which speaks to Heupel’s note on avoiding catastrophic plays. Joey Aguilar threw twice the number of picks as Milton and Iamaleava combined in just one season, but with his gunslinger nature and unique position left by Iamaleava the offseason prior, the Vols had to take the good with the bad.
And considering we aren’t exactly dealing with the 2 most experienced quarterbacks in the world in Brandon and MacIntyre, that importance will surely be emphasized further when fall camp kicks off in a few weeks.
With Heupel and the Vols’ day at SEC Media Days complete, Tennessee is set to open their season on September 5 against Furman.
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
