Tennessee’s quarterback battle faced its biggest test of fall camp Saturday during the team’s first scrimmage inside Neyland Stadium, which was closed to the media.
Head coach Josh Heupel isn’t tipping his hand on whether true freshman Faizon Brandon or redshirt freshman George MacIntyre leads the battle.
While both signal-callers worked through early communication hiccups against a disruptive defensive front, Heupel was pleased with how they settled into live action.
“A couple of communication (issues), just handling some things early in the scrimmage that I think we can improve upon,” Heupel said. “I thought as the scrimmage went on, both played at a really high level. They made some plays down the field, worked through their progressions.”
The scrimmage provided crucial situational work for both young passers, including extended reps in four-minute drills designed to test clock management and situational discipline in Heupel’s up-tempo scheme.
Despite early heat from the pass rush, both Brandon and MacIntyre protected the football while executing the offense’s RPO and play-action concepts.
“In general, they’re taking really good care of the football,” Heupel said. “They’ve continued to grow in mastering what we’re doing, the control and command that you have to have at the quarterback position. But for both of them, just like our football team, there’s a lot of growth to be ready to go play.”
Asked after the scrimmage if the session provided any clarity in the race, Heupel cracked a smile before shutting down the speculation.
“I already named him out there; you guys didn’t pay attention?” Heupel joked. “I’m kidding. No, I want to go watch the tape.”
Heupel emphasized that the primary focus remains on both quarterbacks sharpening their execution as camp progresses.
“The fundamentals and technique continue to get better, understanding of what we’re doing,” he added. “I just want to see them continue to grow here over the next couple weeks.”
With the Sept. 5 season opener against Furman just three weeks away, the Vols will hope one of the quarterbacks separates himself and takes hold of the starting job.
