Forget Week Zero’s eight games this Saturday, because the real news dropped on Monday as multiple college football programs locked in their starting quarterbacks for Week 1. While some big names like Clemson and Iowa are still playing it close to the vest, others just made some serious waves. Alabama already named Keelon Russell its guy on Saturday, but the biggest shocker might just be coming out of Knoxville.
Tennessee Rolls the Dice on a Five-Star Freshman
The Volunteers are going ALL IN with true freshman Faizon Brandon at quarterback. Yeah, you read that right. Head coach Josh Heupel broke the news to the team Monday morning and made it official in an afternoon press conference. This ain’t some experiment; Brandon beat out sophomore George MacIntyre, straight up earning the starting gig with his performance in a Saturday scrimmage, according to On3. This kid is the real deal: 6-foot-4, a five-star recruit, Rivals had him as the No. 3 QB nationally and the No. 10 player overall coming out of Grimsley High School. And get this: he’s only the second true freshman EVER to start a season opener at QB for Tennessee since Brent Schaeffer did it way back in 2004. That’s serious pressure for Week 1, but Brandon’s got a solid crew around him. The Vols are bringing back eight starters on offense, including their 800-yard receivers Braylon Staley and Mike Matthews, plus 1,000-yard rusher DeSean Bishop. They kick off their season on September 5 against Furman. This is going to be a fun one to watch!
Gators and Razorbacks Also Make Their Calls
Down in Gainesville, the Florida Gators also made their QB call on Monday. New head coach Jon Sumrall tabbed transfer junior Aaron Philo as the starter. Philo came over from Georgia Tech with offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, and that familiarity with Faulkner’s system, which apparently features a lot of pre-snap motions, probably gave him the edge over sophomore Tramell Jones Jr. Philo played eight games in two seasons with the Yellow Jackets, completing 58% of his passes for 938 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. Jones, on the other hand, saw action in two games as a freshman last year, going 21 of 35 for 191 yards and 2 TDs. Florida’s offense also looks ready to roll with a returning 1,000-yard rusher in Jaden Baugh and leading receiver Vernell Brown III, who snagged 40 catches. Plus, they added transfer receivers Eric Singleton Jr. (534 yards from Auburan) and Micah Mays Jr. (302 yards with Wake Forest). The Gators face Florida Atlantic on September 5.
Over in Arkansas, new Razorbacks coach Ryan Silverfield named sophomore KJ Jackson as his starter. Jackson got the nod over transfer AJ Hill, which is a big deal for the Razorbacks early in the season.
So, Week 1 is shaping up to be absolutely wild with these new faces under center. Tennessee’s going for it all with a true freshman, and Florida and Arkansas are putting their faith in new leadership. We’re about to see what these guys are truly made of when the season officially kicks off!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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