Jarrett Guarantano, a former Tennessee quarterback, has weighed in on the Vols' latest five-star commit at the position.
After Faizon Brandon impressed at Elite11, Gurantano posted on his Twitter/X account his thoughts.
"Faizon Brandon is THE real deal," Guarantano wrote. "With a really good supporting cast & Coach Heupel's ability to coach Offense, endless potential. Obviously a lot must happen with a Quarterback's development, but his talent is immense. Also, might be one of the flyest first names. #Vols #GBO."
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Guarantano was a highly-rated recruit himself in the 2016 class. He was a four-star and the No. 37 overall player in the cycle.
Out of Oradell, New Jersey, he was the No. 2 player out of the state and No. 3 dual-threat quarterback.
Guarantano played at Tennessee during a turbulent period for the program. During the 2017 campaign, the final under Butch Jones, he played in nine games. In that time, he completed 62% of passes for 997 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions.
As a sophomore, he helped usher in the Jeremy Pruitt era. Guarantano played in 12 games while tossing for 1,907 yards, 12 touchdowns and three picks.
2019 saw him begin the year as a starter, as well, and he appeared in all 13 games. He threw for 2,158 yards on 59% passing with 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
His final year was in 2020 during the Covid-shortened season and Pruitt's final year with the program. He played in seven games while throwing for 1,112 yards, six touchdowns and four picks.
He rounded out his career with Washington State after transferring.
Brandon has garnered plenty of attention throughout his recruitment as one of the top players on the board at any position.
Rivals National Recruiting Analyst Sam Spiegelman pegged him as the recruit he'd want to build his team around in the 2026 cycle.
"If we were building a class around one 2026 prospect, Brandon would be the choice," Spiegelman wrote. "The No. 1 quarterback in the Rivals250 is squarely in the conversation for No. 1 player overall in this 2026 class at the most important position. Brandon was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in North Carolina after leading Grimsley to a state title last season and has continued to make necessary steps in his development as a passer."
Tennessee currently holds 10 commitments in the 2026 class. This is good for the No. 28 group in the country to this point.
The group is headlined by Brandon as the lone five-star at the moment. Tyreek King is knocking on the door of five-star status, but currently sits as a highly-ranked four-star.
Other four-stars committed to this point are tight end Carson Sneed, offensive lineman Gabriel Osenda and edge rusher Zach Groves.
Three-stars in the boat are edge rusher CJ Edwards, linebacker Braylon Outlaw, wide receiver Tyran Evans and safety KJ McClain. On Saturday morning, unranked athlete Luke Thompson joined, as well.
In 2027, Tennessee just landed the commitment of three-star local linebacker JP Peace.
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