University of Tennessee Athletics
Brandon's Confidence Growing by the Day as Season Opener Approaches
August 25, 2026 | Football
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A day after being tabbed as Tennessee's starting quarterback for next Saturday's season opener against Furman, freshman signal caller Faizon Brandon along with three other players met with media following Tuesday afternoon's practice at Haslam Field.
Brandon touched on his excitement after learning he had been named the starter and his plan to continue working towards improving every day as he prepares to make his first collegiate start.
"Just really excited. Felt like everything really paid off even though it's not done yet," Brandon said when asked about being named the starter. "Still got a whole season ahead of us, but that was one of my big goals and I accomplished that. I just felt very excited but still ready to keep working and prepare for the season."
When the Volunteers take the field on Sept. 5 against the Paladins, Brandon will become just the second quarterback in program history to start a season opener, joining Brent Schaeffer who did so in 2004.
A major reason for Brandon's accession to become UT's starting quarterback is the confidence he gained throughout the offseason after spending countless hours in the facility.
"From the first day he was on campus to now, really seems like a changed man," senior offensive lineman Shamurad Umarov said about Brandon's growth. "Every day he has been coming in, learning, he's in before dang near everybody. He is just asking as many questions as he can."
As Tennessee prepares for its season opener on Sept. 5, Brandon's teammates are also excited to know who will be leading them onto the field against the Paladins.
"Now you have a feel of knowing who your guy is," sophomore wide receiver Travis Smith Jr. said on Tuesday. "Then, they can step into that leadership role and just tell you what they're going to look for during this play or look for against the defense. It's great knowing who your guy is, for sure."
When the Big Orange run through the T for the first time this season, expect Brandon's confidence to be at an all-time high thanks to the hard work he's put in and the support he has from his teammates.
"I definitely say I gained a lot of confidence," Brandon said. "I felt very confident going into fall camp, and all my teammates helped me along the way continuing to get better, continuing to help build my confidence also. All the input they gave me, I like to thank them also."
Kickoff against Furman is slated for 3:30 p.m. Sept. 5 with a digital stream on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app. Very limited tickets are still available at AllVols.com.
Videos of all player availabilities following Tuesday's practice can be seen below.
Brandon touched on his excitement after learning he had been named the starter and his plan to continue working towards improving every day as he prepares to make his first collegiate start.
"Just really excited. Felt like everything really paid off even though it's not done yet," Brandon said when asked about being named the starter. "Still got a whole season ahead of us, but that was one of my big goals and I accomplished that. I just felt very excited but still ready to keep working and prepare for the season."
When the Volunteers take the field on Sept. 5 against the Paladins, Brandon will become just the second quarterback in program history to start a season opener, joining Brent Schaeffer who did so in 2004.
A major reason for Brandon's accession to become UT's starting quarterback is the confidence he gained throughout the offseason after spending countless hours in the facility.
"From the first day he was on campus to now, really seems like a changed man," senior offensive lineman Shamurad Umarov said about Brandon's growth. "Every day he has been coming in, learning, he's in before dang near everybody. He is just asking as many questions as he can."
As Tennessee prepares for its season opener on Sept. 5, Brandon's teammates are also excited to know who will be leading them onto the field against the Paladins.
"Now you have a feel of knowing who your guy is," sophomore wide receiver Travis Smith Jr. said on Tuesday. "Then, they can step into that leadership role and just tell you what they're going to look for during this play or look for against the defense. It's great knowing who your guy is, for sure."
When the Big Orange run through the T for the first time this season, expect Brandon's confidence to be at an all-time high thanks to the hard work he's put in and the support he has from his teammates.
"I definitely say I gained a lot of confidence," Brandon said. "I felt very confident going into fall camp, and all my teammates helped me along the way continuing to get better, continuing to help build my confidence also. All the input they gave me, I like to thank them also."
Kickoff against Furman is slated for 3:30 p.m. Sept. 5 with a digital stream on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app. Very limited tickets are still available at AllVols.com.
Videos of all player availabilities following Tuesday's practice can be seen below.
Freshman QB Faizon Brandon
Sophomore WR Travis Smith Jr.
Sophomore DB Ty Redmond
Senior OL Shamurad Umarov
Players Mentioned
QB
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DB
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WR
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OL
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