Faizon Brandon‘s voice cut right through the noise inside Tennessee football‘s huddle at Georgia Tech.
Even in the game’s tense moments, like when the No. 14 Vols trailed in the first quarter after they had a punt blocked, the freshman quarterback‘s directions were clear. Demanding, even, according to his left tackle.
“I would say overall, just the way he carries himself tells us the story that we need to know,” David Sanders Jr. said on Sept. 15. “When you say encouraging or being that leader, just his voice — he’s not shaking, he’s not stuttering. He’s saying it clear as day so we can understand what he’s saying.”
Brandon is the youngest starting quarterback in Tennessee history, and the Vols‘ 45-24 win at Georgia Tech on Sept. 12 was his first time playing an FBS opponent after accounting for five touchdowns the week prior against Furman. It was also his first road start.
No. 14 Tennessee (2-0) returns home to play Kennesaw State (1-1) on Sept. 19 (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network) at Neyland Stadium.
A crucial fourth down arrived late in the first quarter against Georgia Tech, one of those moments when momentum hung in the balance, and the ball was going to be in Brandon’s hands. Sanders recalled Brandon looking his teammates in the eyes and telling them matter-of-factly they were going to get the first down.
Brandon took the snap, pulled back a handoff and rolled to his right eyeing tight end Ethan Davis. But Davis was covered and pressure was coming fast. Brandon stuck his foot in the ground and stopped his momentum in place, sending the defender past empty-handed and opening a clear path ahead.
“As a tackle you’ll be blocking your guy and he moves, so you’re trying to get him,” Sanders said. “And all you see is No. 11 just flying by.”
Brandon accelerated and dove forward for the first down. Tennessee went on to score that drive for its first of 24 unanswered points.
On the bus ride to the airport, Sanders told Brandon how impressed he was by his poise in that moment. Brandon was communicating with his teammates on protections and trusting them to do their jobs. His decision-making wasn’t rushed. “He just never flinched,” Sanders said.
It was far from a perfect start for Brandon. He finished with 10 completions on 21 attempts for 148 yards and two touchdowns. It was the Vols’ running game, which finished with 299 yards and three touchdowns, which really led the way offensively.
Much tougher tests await, like a looming matchup with No. 1 Texas on Sept. 26 (noon, ABC) and three more games against teams currently ranked in the top 10 (No. 7 LSU, No. 8 Texas A&M and No. 10 Alabama). How Brandon handles those moments will end up defining his season.
The offense’s performances in those spotlighted matchups will start in the huddle, where through two games Brandon has been in control.
Emmett Siegel covers Tennessee baseball for Knox News. Email: emmett.siegel@knoxnews.com; X: @EmmettSiegel_
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Inside a Tennessee football huddle with freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon
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