'26 NC QB Faizon Brandon (Tennessee commit)

#1,701
#1,701
I see this is setting up nicely for when/if Faizon doesn’t earn the starting spot the second he steps on campus then everyone can bash Heup and talk about how he doesn’t know what he’s doing despite exactly zero of the posters here ever laying eyes on a single practice.

This place is so predictable.
 
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#1,702
#1,702
MarcoVol said:
I see this is setting up nicely for when/if Faizon doesn’t earn the starting spot the second he steps on campus then everyone can bash Heup and talk about how he doesn’t know what he’s doing despite exactly zero of the posters here ever laying eyes on a single practice.

This place is so predictable.
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Not at all, everyone should know there is 2 realistic scenarios here:

1. Nico returns for the 2026 season and Brandon learns under him and earns the qb2 spot throughout the season

2. Nico leaves, and Merk starts for the ‘26 season and Brandon could earn the qb2 spot throughout the season and at the end of season merk leaves and brandon will be the presumptive starter
 
#1,703
#1,703
JCVol00 said:
Not at all, everyone should know there is 2 realistic scenarios here:

1. Nico returns for the 2026 season and Brandon learns under him and earns the qb2 spot throughout the season

2. Nico leaves, and Merk starts for the ‘26 season and Brandon could earn the qb2 spot throughout the season and at the end of season merk leaves and brandon will be the presumptive starter
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EIther could well happen. But we haven't even seen what GMac could do, especially as he muscles up a bit and gets a chance to learn our offense. Seems we have a good array of possibilities at this time.
 
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#1,708
#1,708
volKano said:
Next years qb class will be deep. Nico is gonna need to pad those stats if he wants to move on after next year.
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I highly doubt Nico gets picked in the first two rounds. Unless he really makes a huge step, he will be lucky to go in the 3rd or 4th round. I agree about the stat padding but here is my question. It seems like even with Hooker, he didn’t really stat pad so to speak. How many blowouts did you see Hooker stay in for like you did Dart at Ole Miss?
 
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#1,709
#1,709
Dobbs 4 Heisman said:
And how do you figure this? Next year's QB class has no one close to Cam Ward. Also there's no guarantee Arch Manning comes out. He'll most likely stay all 4 years like Peyton and Eli.
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You are just assuming this. Nobody saw Cam Ward having the season he did. There could easily be a QB that has a much better year than Ward.
 
#1,711
#1,711
BigOrangeTrain said:
If Nico stays 4 years then we have major problems on our coaching staff
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BigOrangeTrain said:
I highly doubt Nico gets picked in the first two rounds. Unless he really makes a huge step, he will be lucky to go in the 3rd or 4th round. I agree about the stat padding but here is my question. It seems like even with Hooker, he didn’t really stat pad so to speak. How many blowouts did you see Hooker stay in for like you did Dart at Ole Miss?
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#1,713
#1,713
BigOrangeTrain said:
I highly doubt Nico gets picked in the first two rounds. Unless he really makes a huge step, he will be lucky to go in the 3rd or 4th round. I agree about the stat padding but here is my question. It seems like even with Hooker, he didn’t really stat pad so to speak. How many blowouts did you see Hooker stay in for like you did Dart at Ole Miss?
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I think Nico was better this year than you are making it out to be. He had some growing pains early but looked good when we gave him decent protection. Also it's normal for players to make a leap with experience.

Talent wise Nico is a 1st rounder. He showed me enough last year to be a 1st rounder. The thing is we need to help him by improving the offensive line. Last year pass protection was awful which was a major reason for his struggles. If the o-line improves he will put up huge numbers and stat sheet will begin to correlate to his talents.
 
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#1,717
#1,717
BigOrangeTrain said:
If Nico stays 4 years then we have major problems on our coaching staff.
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Yeah, what reason would he come back? It is not like anybody good ever did that here. Take Peyton….. Oh wait…… every situation is different, too many variables.

I don’t think he will be back because instead of our staff asking him to adapt to a run a star back and cut the clock to feature a stellar D, they will design schemes with tempo again that fit his skill sets and assists a revamped and potentially inexperienced OL. Shades of 22 again, tiring out the D and cutting down on adjustment time. Maybe a little more TE prone to take advantage of a really strong room.
 
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#1,719
#1,719
BigOrangeTrain said:
I highly doubt Nico gets picked in the first two rounds. Unless he really makes a huge step, he will be lucky to go in the 3rd or 4th round. I agree about the stat padding but here is my question. It seems like even with Hooker, he didn’t really stat pad so to speak. How many blowouts did you see Hooker stay in for like you did Dart at Ole Miss?
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Correct. CJH sits his starters in blowouts.. period. Hooker got pulled in at least 3 games where he could have padded the heck out of his stats. Similar story with Milton. Even last year Nico sat during all/large parts of the second half of 4 drubbing. UTC, UTEP, MISS State and Kent State. he literally didn't play in the second half of UTC, Miss State, and Kent State, and he played 2 series in the second half VS UTEP. Just looking at Nico last year in time he was sat earlier assuming he's at least as good as his backups he probably throws for over 3k and 30 td's.
 
#1,720
#1,720
GUNTERSVOL said:
Yeah, what reason would he come back? It is not like anybody good ever did that here. Take Peyton….. Oh wait…… every situation is different, too many variables.

I don’t think he will be back because instead of our staff asking him to adapt to a run a star back and cut the clock to feature a stellar D, they will design schemes with tempo again that fit his skill sets and assists a revamped and potentially inexperienced OL. Shades of 22 again, tiring out the D and cutting down on adjustment time. Maybe a little more TE prone to take advantage of a really strong room.
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It's better for the program if Nico is gone after this year as a 1st round pick. You have to think about recruits in general rather than exceptions to the rule like Peyton. Most recruits want to get to the NFL as soon as possible. It's better for us in recruiting to have guys being able to get drafted highly after 3 years rather than 4. You gotta think long term rather than short term. In the short term 4 years of Nico is better than 3. But for the long term health of the program we need him to get drafted next year as a 1st round pick rather than having him stick around for 4 years.
 
#1,721
#1,721
Dobbs 4 Heisman said:
It's better for the program if Nico is gone after this year as a 1st round pick. You have to think about recruits in general rather than exceptions to the rule like Peyton. Most recruits want to get to the NFL as soon as possible. It's better for us in recruiting to have guys being able to get drafted highly after 3 years rather than 4. You gotta think long term rather than short term. In the short term 4 years of Nico is better than 3. But for the long term health of the program we need him to get drafted next year as a 1st round pick rather than having him stick around for 4 years.
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Better? Maybe. BUT there are a whole range of possibilities driven by his, the OL and WR rooms development rates and peaks that COULD posture him for much higher draft status with that 4 th year and the obvious potential for a deeper playoff run instead of breaking in another QB.

Just have to let this play out. If he/they explode this year we thank him and support him in the NFL after he weighs his options. Lots of grey area in the middle too.
 
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#1,722
#1,722
GUNTERSVOL said:
Better? Maybe. BUT there are a whole range of possibilities driven by his, the OL and WR rooms development rates and peaks that COULD posture him for much higher draft status with that 4 th year and the obvious potential for a deeper playoff run instead of breaking in another QB.

Just have to let this play out. If he/they explode this year we thank him and support him in the NFL after he weighs his options. Lots of grey area in the middle too.
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Aye, well-stated.
 
#1,723
#1,723
GUNTERSVOL said:
Better? Maybe. BUT there are a whole range of possibilities driven by his, the OL and WR rooms development rates and peaks that COULD posture him for much higher draft status with that 4 th year and the obvious potential for a deeper playoff run instead of breaking in another QB.

Just have to let this play out. If he/they explode this year we thank him and support him in the NFL after he weighs his options. Lots of grey area in the middle too.
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Need speed, and top rated depth at WR. Cant just win anymore, gotta sizzle whilst doing it.
 
#1,724
#1,724
Rockytopoftheworld said:
If Nico plays in 2025 like he did in 2024, he will either enter the transfer portal or come back to UT for 2026.

He has to take a sizable leap this off season to live up to his hype as the number one overall player in his class.

He can do it! I expect it
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Outside of missed deep passes, what else could he have better as a 1st year starter? His pass blocking was atrocious, his WR's couldn't regularly get open and when they did they dropped it. The playcalling was as predictable as a clocks movement.

I really don't think he cares what a message board poster EXPECTS. Probably not at the top of his worries or to do list, if I had to guess. Some of you guys really think the players and Coach's prioritize y'all's feelings or expectations. They aren't your kids or your employees, so thinking that your expectations matter is laughable. Your comment really makes you sound like a narcissist.what you expect is irrelevant to a 17-18 yr old. The quicker you learn that the better off you'll be!
 
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#1,725
#1,725
jasonvol18 said:
Outside of missed deep passes, what else could he have better as a 1st year starter? His pass blocking was atrocious, his WR's couldn't regularly get open and when they did they dropped it. The playcalling was as predictable as a clocks movement.

I really don't think he cares what a message board poster EXPECTS. Probably not at the top of his worries or to do list, if I had to guess. Some of you guys really think the players and Coach's prioritize y'all's feelings or expectations. They aren't your kids or your employees, so thinking that your expectations matter is laughable. Your comment really makes you sound like a narcissist.what you expect is irrelevant to a 17-18 yr old. The quicker you learn that the better off you'll be!
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I’d say he needs to improve on his processing speed and deep ball accuracy, in that order.

That said, you’re right. He was a first year starter. His processing speed is naturally going to get better in 2025 due to the fact that he’ll be a 2nd year starter. Expecting a first year starter to be able to read a coverage and process his reads at the same level that 24 year-old Hendon Hooker did in 2022 is ridiculous, but some expected that.

I think Nico will be fantastic next season.
 
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