On3 national recruiting director Steve Wiltfong thinks that Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Vols are the best in the nation when it comes to an important aspect of college football.
After the Vols landed a commitment from 2026 five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon on Saturday, Wiltfong proclaimed that "no program is recruiting high school QBs better than Tennessee".
"When it comes to pure high school quarterback recruiting, there isn’t a program doing it better over these last four cycles than Tennessee," wrote Wiltfong after Brandon (the No. 1 player in the 2026 recruiting class) announced his commitment to the Volunteers.
Brandon is the fourth straight stud high school quarterback that Tennessee has landed under Heupel.
2023: 5-star QB Nico Iamaleava (No. 1 QB per On3)
2024: 4-star QB Jake Merklinger (No. 12 QB per On3)
2025: 4-star QB George MacIntyre (No. 8 QB per On3)
2026: 5-star QB Faizon Brandon (No. 1 QB per On3)
Heupel and his staff are becoming the premier destination for elite high school quarterbacks. And that's in large part because Heupel and offensive coordinator Joey Halzle are both ex-quarterbacks from a big-time program (Oklahoma) which gives them unique insight when it comes to communicating with high level quarterback recruits.
When you combine that insight with the incredible culture/atmosphere that Heupel and his staff have created at Tennessee, you have a recipe for recruiting success. And the Vols are nailing that recipe.
The interesting thing about Tennessee's quarterback recruiting success over the last few years is that the Vols are getting the quarterbacks they want and it hasn't even really been a challenge. Tennessee identified Iamaleava, Merklinger, MacIntyre, and Brandon early in the recruiting process and chose to never really pursue other quarterbacks. They essentially identified their top targets and then they went and got them. No drama and really no competition.
Heupel is off to a great start as Tennessee's head coach, but the fun is really just getting started if you're a Vols fan. Tennessee's roster is just now getting to the point where it feels like this team can truly compete for championships. And the scary thing for the rest of the SEC is that the Vols are only going to become more dangerous in the coming years as they continue to rapidly add elite talent to the roster.
Related: Former Tennessee Vols HC Jeremy Pruitt makes honest admission about returning to coach at the high school level
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