'26 NC QB Faizon Brandon (Tennessee commit)

National Champs with Transfer QB in recent history:

- 2024: Ohio State (Will Howard from Kansas State)
- 2022: Georgia (Stetson Bennett from JUCO)
- 2021: Georgia (Bennett)
- 2019: LSU (Joe Burrow from Ohio State)
- 2016: Alabama (Jake Coker from Florida State)
Also:
- 2010: Auburn (Cam Newton from Florida/JUCO)

With that being said, this roster is nowhere close to a national championship caliber team
 
At this point, no one is a sure thing. He obviously has a lot of upside and of course could be the best quarterback ever. But that’s what we all thought about Nico coming out of HS
Well one thing this kid definitely can run, and looks willing to as well. I do agree Brandon looks to be the real thing, but even with great freshman prospects there still could be a few growing pains. He looks more polished all the way around with a better suited body and frame than Nico. I have seen his arm strength and it looks stronger than Nico’s as well.
 
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Well one thing this kid definitely can run, and looks willing to as well. I do agree Brandon looks to be the real thing, but even with great freshman prospects there still could be a few growing pains. He looks more polished all the way around with a better suited body and frame than Nico. I have seen his arm strength and it looks stronger than Nico’s as well.
Nico’s running and arm strength have never been a concern. As a matter of fact, Nico has all the tools and potential in the world.

The single most valuable QB trait is seeing the field and making good decisions under pressure. It’s why players like Manning and Tom Brady were goats. And it’s something that’s hard to predict going from HS to a top college conference
 
Nico’s running and arm strength have never been a concern. As a matter of fact, Nico has all the tools and potential in the world.

The single most valuable QB trait is seeing the field and making good decisions under pressure. It’s why players like Manning and Tom Brady were goats. And it’s something that’s hard to predict going from HS to a top college conference
Hooker did that better than any QB at UT since Manning, IMO.
 
Nico’s running and arm strength have never been a concern. As a matter of fact, Nico has all the tools and potential in the world.

The single most valuable QB trait is seeing the field and making good decisions under pressure. It’s why players like Manning and Tom Brady were goats. And it’s something that’s hard to predict going from HS to a top college conference
Again, I only know what I know. Those guys lived, breathed, slept, being a football QB. It doesnt just 'happen'. Baby brain and adult brain merge. Peyton and Tom had drive.

Showing up in pajama pants isnt my definition of drive and want to.
 
National Champs with Transfer QB in recent history:

- 2024: Ohio State (Will Howard from Kansas State)
- 2022: Georgia (Stetson Bennett from JUCO)
- 2021: Georgia (Bennett)
- 2019: LSU (Joe Burrow from Ohio State)
- 2016: Alabama (Jake Coker from Florida State)
Also:
- 2010: Auburn (Cam Newton from Florida/JUCO)

With that being said, this roster is nowhere close to a national championship caliber team
Bennett started out as a walk on QB at Georgia before going JUCO. so I don't think he really fits into the same category.
 
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Basically now when you get a commit it’s not worth getting excited over. Just like Brandon. He will likely renegotiate every year. Don’t meet his demands? He bolts. College football sucks now.
 
Basically now when you get a commit it’s not worth getting excited over. Just like Brandon. He will likely renegotiate every year. Don’t meet his demands? He bolts. College football sucks now.
If he comes in and lives up to expectations, pay him what he's worth. Nico wasn't worth 4 mil...he wasn't even worth the 2+ mil we were paying him.
 
Not true. Boise St made it with a mid major staff. Our Defensive staff is really good, the offensive staff is very mid major! And doubt many would argue that.
More than half the posters on this board wanted to fire at least one if not more than one of our defensive coaches before last season.
 
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If he comes in and lives up to expectations, pay him what he's worth. Nico wasn't worth 4 mil...he wasn't even worth the 2+ mil we were paying him.
eh 2 million to a qb who reaches the playoffs seems reasonable considering starting SEC quality is already at +million bucks. you got to be an elite qb to be worth 4 million a year though, and Nico wasn't close to that level.
 
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eh 2 million to a qb who reaches the playoffs seems reasonable considering starting SEC quality is already at +million bucks. you got to be an elite qb to be worth 4 million a year though, and Nico wasn't close to that level.
Yeah, I mean I wasn't mad he was getting 2 mil a year, but in no way should we have caved and given him more than he was already getting because he didn't earn it. Samson and the defense are the only reason we made the playoffs. The majority of Nicos stats were against the cupcakes, which makes me say he really hadn't even earned what he was making so far from a production stand point. But I'd been willing to keep him at what he was making had he kept coming to work and left big daddy out of it.
 
eh 2 million to a qb who reaches the playoffs seems reasonable considering starting SEC quality is already at +million bucks. you got to be an elite qb to be worth 4 million a year though, and Nico wasn't close to that level.
I think we got there more despite him, not because of him. Defense and Sampson was at least 80% of our success. He was a game manager at best. Not a bad one, but he wasn't more than that.
 
I think we got there more despite him, not because of him. Defense and Sampson was at least 80% of our success. He was a game manager at best. Not a bad one, but he wasn't more than that.
I certainly would have been happy to see Nico play for us this year at his established NIL rate. An increase -- and especially a huge one -- was overreaching and destructive. And the way it was handled was unacceptable.

But Hooker is still the only QB who has started for Heupel for two years. I think Nico would have been much improved in this offense, and especially with an improved OL. But we'll never know. The way his crew handled things, they made anything but what he got impossible. They were toxic.
 
Would love to see the staff invest all NIL savings from defectors into securing protection and weapons for Faizon.
Protection should be fine with how they’ve recruited the last 2 cycles. Whether Elarbee develops them or not is a different story. I think they have to find a way to get Keys back in the boat though
 

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