Did Josh Heupel Make The WRONG QB Decision?

The Tennessee Vols have a massive decision to make at quarterback, and the latest Big Orange Podcast asks whether Josh Heupel made the wrong decision to start Faizon Brandon in the first place. Charlie Burris and Zach Ragan break down Tennessee's quarterback situation after George McIntyre replaced Brandon against Auburn and helped the Vols escape with a win. The decision to pull Brandon was understandable. After struggling through six quarters of SEC football against Texas and Auburn, Brandon looked overwhelmed at times against Auburn. He hesitated on throws, missed opportunities downfield and ultimately threw an interception after waiting too long to make a decision. Add in the shoulder injury he suffered against Texas, and Charlie and Zach believe Tennessee had little choice but to make a change. McIntyre entered the game and immediately provided a different element. He completed 8 of 10 passes and made enough throws to force Auburn to respect Tennessee's passing game, which helped open up the running game and allowed the Vols to finish the comeback. But does that mean George McIntyre should be Tennessee's starting quarterback moving forward? Charlie and Zach aren't ready to make that declaration yet. McIntyre has not been asked to win a game with his arm, and the bar was extremely low when he entered the Auburn game. Simply completing passes and operating the offense was a major improvement over what Tennessee had gotten from Brandon during the previous six quarters. The guys also discuss the possibility that Tennessee may have made a quarterback decision similar to the Joe Milton Hendon Hooker situation. Brandon won the job during the offseason and showed significant potential in practice, but the question now is whether that potential translates when the lights are brightest. Tennessee has a $35 million roster and entered the season with legitimate playoff expectations. Charlie and Zach argue that this is what makes the current quarterback situation so frustrating. This was not supposed to be a developmental season. The Vols built this roster to compete now, and the guys question whether Tennessee should have pursued a more experienced quarterback after Joey Aguilar's departure rather than relying entirely on a true freshman. Now George McIntyre gets an enormous opportunity. If he starts against Arkansas, the pressure will be different than it was against Auburn. He will no longer be the backup with nothing to lose. He will be the guy expected to lead Tennessee. Can McIntyre handle that pressure? Can Faizon Brandon regain his confidence and eventually win the job back? And did Tennessee make the right quarterback decision in the first place? Charlie Burris and Zach Ragan break it all down on the latest Big Orange Podcast. Subscribe to A to Z Sports Tennessee for Tennessee Volunteers football news, analysis, recruiting updates, game reactions and Big Orange Podcast episodes throughout the 2026 season. 00:00 Tennessee's quarterback situation 01:00 Why Faizon Brandon was pulled 02:00 Faizon's struggles against Auburn 03:30 The shoulder injury 04:30 George McIntyre changes the game 05:30 Did Tennessee make the right decision? 07:00 McIntyre still has a lot to prove 08:30 Faizon's upside remains huge 09:30 The Hooker vs. Milton comparison 11:00 What happens if McIntyre starts Arkansas? 12:30 The pressure changes when you're QB1 14:00 Did Tennessee mishandle the QB room? 15:30 Tennessee's $35 million roster 17:00 Should Tennessee have added another QB? 18:30 The true freshman problem 20:00 Can McIntyre save the season? 21:00 What happens to Faizon? Make A to Z Sports your preferred source on Google: https://google.com/preferences/source... Play A to Z Sports Daily Games: https://atozsports.com/games For more VOLS coverage: https://atozsports.com/nashville/volu... Facebook:   / volforlifetn   Twitter: https://x.com/BigOrangePod Instagram:   / atozsportsvols   TikTok:   / atozsportsvols   #TennesseeVols #TennesseeFootball #Vols #GeorgeMcIntyre #FaizonBrandon