The Tennessee Volunteers have officially announced who they will be starting at quarterback to begin the 2026 season, and for the first time since 2004, the Vols have opted to let a true freshman begin the season as a starting quarterback.

The quarterback that the Tennessee Volunteers opted to go with is Faizon Brandon, a former five-star quarterback who was previously ranked as the No. 1 player in the state of North Carolina, but also in the country as a whole. He is one class younger than the player whom he defeated in the position battle. That quarterback is George MacIntyre.

While it is clear what's next for Brandon now that he is the starter, the real question is "What's next for George MacIntyre?"

What's Next For George MacIntyre?

While it is no secret that the Tennessee Volunteers have the belief that Brandon is their guy to begin the 2026 season, that doesn't mean things can't change. Despite there being four quarterbacks in the room, there is no doubt that MacIntyre is the clear No. 2 now that the starter has been announced. With that being said, the new five-for-five rule means that MacIntyre has this season and three more following, so this could be an ongoing competition, especially if Brandon struggles early.

While a decision is made for the first game, that doesn't mean he will be the quarterback for the full 2026 season. In fact, MacIntyre is expected to play a fair share of snaps against the Furman Paladins on Sep 5, which will give the fans a great chance to see both quarterbacks before the Vols travel to play against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in their first road game of the season.

This means that playing in the first game of the season is what is next in MacIntyre's mind. Also, this competition will continue, even if it isn't the main headline of camp. Just because a quarterback wins the job doesn't mean that they can't lose it. Sure, Joey Aguilar was named the starter last season and started every game for the Vols, but think back to Joe Milton originally winning the job ahead of Josh Heupel's first game with Tennessee.

He may have started the first two games, but it was Hendon Hooker's team by game three. This is a prime example that things can change fast, and MacIntyre will need to have this in the back of his mind as he strives to compete and get better ahead of the first game of the season.