Senior Staff Writer/Editor/Host
Everyone, keep comedian Nate Bargatze in your thoughts, as Vanderbilt football has named senior Blaze Berlowitz its starting quarterback for Game 1 against Austin Peay, opting for the New Mexico State transfer over five-star true freshman Jared Curtis.
Bargatze helped the Commodores flip Curtis from Georgia when he offered the five-star quarterback a cameo in his “The Breadwinner” movie live on ESPN’s College GameDay. Along with the role in the film, Curtis’ NIL package reportedly pays the freshman around $2 million per year.
The decision to choose Berlowitz, who has thrown just two touchdown passes in his college career, over the highly touted, highly compensated Curtis is certainly surprising.
But more than anything, Vanderbilt’s decision highlights just how unique Tennessee’s situation with true freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon really is.
First, we have to admit that, while exciting, starting a true freshman like Faizon Brandon is out of necessity for the Vols, rather than entirely by choice. Josh Heupel and Tennessee attempted to land a transfer quarterback this offseason but were ultimately unsuccessful, leaving the staff to choose between redshirt freshman George MacIntyre and true freshman Brandon.
Regardless, necessity didn’t force Heupel to opt for Brandon; Brandon’s work ethic and pure talent did.
To put into context just how rare Tennessee’s quarterback situation is, the last true freshman to start for an SEC program was ironically Ken Seals in 2020 for Vanderbilt.
The Commodores went an abysmal 0-9 that season, but Seals set the program’s single-season freshman passing record with 1,928 yards and a 64.6% completion percentage, despite throwing 10 interceptions compared to just 12 touchdowns.
After Seals, you just have to go back to 2019 to find the next true freshman SEC quarterback to be named QB1: Bo Nix, who started Game 1 for Auburn against No. 11 Oregon.
That game is still fondly remembered by fans on the Plains, as Nix delivered a 26-yard game-winning touchdown pass as time expired to give the Tigers a 27-21 victory.
Auburn finished the season 9-4 with a bowl loss to Minnesota, but Nix put together an impressive freshman campaign. He set the school record for passing yards by a freshman and earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors.
For Tennessee, you have to go back even further.
All the way to 2004, when true freshmen Brent Schaeffer and Erik Ainge both saw significant action at quarterback for the Vols. The pair helped lead Tennessee to a 10-3 record and an appearance in the SEC Championship Game, where the Vols ultimately fell to undefeated Auburn.
That makes what Tennessee is doing with Faizon Brandon even more unusual. It has been more than two decades since the Vols entrusted a true freshman with this kind of responsibility at quarterback.
Expectations are high for Brandon, as they always are for a top-ranked prospect, and while there will inevitably be bumps in the road, there should also be plenty of highlights that will hopefully help grow Faizon into a bona fide star on Rocky Top.
Comments