Tennessee football recruiting: Meet Josh Heupel's top 4 QB commits ft. 5-star Faizon Brandon
Josh Heupel has done a tremendous job of recruiting quarterback talent in recent years. The Tennessee Volunteers added to their impressive quarterback stable on Friday by landing Faizon Brandon, a five-star prospect and the top-ranked quarterback in the 2026 recruiting class. Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports shared the news of his commitment on X (formerly Twitter).
"BREAKING: Five-Star QB Faizon Brandon has Committed to Tennessee, he tells me for @on3recruits The 6’4 202 QB from Greensboro, NC chose the Vols over Alabama, LSU, & NC State Is Ranked as the No. 1 QB in 2026 (per On3)."
Brandon becomes the latest addition to what is seemingly transforming into a very talented quarterback room. Take a look at the four quarterback prospects Heupel has landed over the past recruiting cycles below.
Meet Josh Heupel's top 4 QB commits
#1. Faizon Brandon
Faizon Brandon, a five-star prospect, is viewed as a blend of a pocket passer and a dual-threat quarterback, as he has a strong and accurate arm mixed with great athleticism. While he still has two more years of high school, it likely won't be long before he's under center for Josh Heupel's offense.
#2. George MacIntyre
George MacIntyre is a four-star prospect and the eighth-ranked quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class. He is viewed as having one of the highest upsides in his recruiting class. MacIntyre is more of a pure pocket passer with a good arm and pocket presence.
#3. Jake Merklinger
Jake Merklinger is a four-star prospect and the 13th-ranked quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class. He is viewed as a pocket passer with plenty of athleticism. Merklinger is participating in his first training camp with Josh Heupel's Tennessee Volunteers and battling for the backup job. While he will likely redshirt the season, he is expected to get on the field at some point, as redshirts are allowed to appear in four games.
#4. Nico Iamaleava
Nico Iamaleava was a five-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class. He is viewed as a complete package and likely would have garnered much more attention if he hadn't shared a class with Arch Manning.
In limited playing time, he threw for 314 yards and two touchdowns. Iamaleava completed 62.2% of his passes while adding 71 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries. He will take over as the starter for Josh Heupel's squad in 2024.