BREAKING: 5-star Tennessee football commit named Gatorade NC Player of the Year

Tennessee football commitment Faizon Brandon was named the 2024 Gatorade North Carolina Football Player of the Year on Friday.

Brandon, from Grimsley High School in Greensboro, is a junior quarterback committed to the Vols for the Class of 2026. He has thrown for 2,159 yards, 27 touchdowns and one interception this season while rushing for 564 yards and eight touchdowns. Brandon has led Grimsley to a 13-0 record with the North Carolina high school football playoffs ongoing.

In a release announcing the news, Gatorade touted Brandon’s volunteer work and his work in a middle school mentorship program

“Faizon Brandon is always in total control of the game. He never sweats the small things, and he’s a great leader on and off the field,” Grimsley coach Tiesuan Brown said in a news release.

The 6-foot-4, 202 pound quarterback is 247Sports’ No. 1 ranked recruit nationally in the 2026 class. He committed to Tennessee on August 3.

Currently rated as a 5-star by 247Sports, Brandon is one of six commits in the Vols’ 2026 class. That group is sure to grow soon after Wednesday signaled the early signing period for the 2025 class.

WRAPPING UP THE 2025 CLASS:David Sanders, No. 1 tackle in class, signs with Tennessee football despite Ohio State push