重磅解析！Josh Heupel揭秘特兰斯特四分卫争夺战的内幕

Tennessee quarterbacks, from left, Faizon Brandon (11), Ryan Staub (17), George MacIntyre (15) and Mason Phillips (13) during the Vols' first spring football practice in Knoxville on March 16, 2026. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images From the end of the 2025 season, to a transfer portal battle and then a fight in court — the Tennessee quarterback battle still isn’t set, and it won’t be until this fall. Tries to land Sam Leavitt and even Ty Simpson came up empty, then a challenge to the NCAA to get another season of eligibility for Joey Aguilar also failed.

Josh Heupel is left in a position that he has yet to see in Knoxville. George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon, two of his own hand-picked quarterback recruits, will battle it out for the starting job this fall. You have to go back to 2021 to find the last true quarterback battle, with Hendon Hooker and Joe Milton both going for the job in Heupel’s first season with Tennessee.

This one is different though, featuring two guys that have extremely limited or no college playing experience at all. On Monday, the battle began in an official capacity on the practice field. “Yeah, it is open,” Heupel said, confirming what everyone already knew.

“We had that conversation with all of them as we started the winter, when they all arrived here. Had that conversation again as we were wrapping up our winter before we got into spring ball. We’ve had a couple of those battles.