TAMPA, Fla. -- The quarterbacks' names have changed, their styles have differed and the logos on their helmets have varied. But when they are coached by Tennessee's Josh Heupel, they typically have prolific production.
So, with Tennessee entering the 2026 season with one of the highest-profile quarterback battles in the country, Heupel projected confidence in that the Vols will be fine with either second-year quarterback George MacIntyre or true freshman Faizon Brandon.
In Heupel's eight seasons as a head coach, his teams have been top 20 in total offense each season and top 10 in scoring offense in six of eight years, so there's reason to believe that there will be notable production again.
"We've had it happen a lot of different ways," Heupel told ESPN. "You've had a guy that you knew was going to be the guy. We've had a bunch of competitions. We'll find out when we find out. Typically, there comes a point where you're like, all right, this is the right guy."
Heupel would prefer the decision to reveal itself "the earlier the better," but noted the myriad factors that go into this kind of decision. The systems and call sheets will vary between the quarterbacks, neither of whom has started a college game.
MacIntyre is the only one with college experience -- two games. He's listed at 6-foot-6 and 208 pounds. Heupel pointed out he has a background playing basketball, which gives him "good short-area quickness." But he's more of a pocket passer.
"So you can control edges like we typically do in our run game with him," Heupel said. "He's not a guy you're going to use much in the quarterback run game."
Brandon comes in as a top-10 overall recruit in the ESPN rankings and a high school pedigree in North Carolina at Grimsley High School in Greensboro where he lost only one game. He's 6-foot-4, 225 pounds and is more of a classic dual threat. He'd be Heupel's first true freshman full-time starter since Dylan Gabriel started the final 12 game at UCF in 2019.
"Faizon has grabbed onto our offense," Heupel said. "He's grown a bunch on defensive understanding as well, but thicker, stronger body type 220 and change, close to 225, and you can use him in the quarterback run game at times. So we've never majored in that, but it's been a part at times with who we've had."
What always has been a staple of Heupel's offenses has been the run game. Per Sports Source Analytics, Tennessee's rush offense in the past five years under Heupel has led the SEC with 204.2 yards per game. They also have three straight 1,000-yard rushers, which is the longest streak in the conference.
Tennessee's DeSean Bishop returns after earning all-SEC second-team honors last year with 1,706 yards and 16 touchdowns. Having a clear No. 1 option in the run game should help ease in whomever wins the starting job.
Heupel's reputation as a high-octane coach belies the success running the ball. He said every year a coach has to "paint" the system to the skill set of the quarterback.
"I do think it'll be important that we run the football efficiently, effectively this year," he said. "A part of that is the quarterback decision making in the RPO [run-pass options] game too. Sometimes people lose track of that."
He added: "I don't know who's going to win the job, and then you kind of put them in a position to be successful inside of the scope of what you're doing offensively based on the skill set that you asked about earlier."
The defense will have a new flavor, with veteran coordinator Jim Knowles coming to Tennessee. He was part of the Penn State staff fired last season, and the year before that he called the defense on Ohio State's national title team before leaving for a league rival.
Heupel acknowledged the narrative that Knowles' defense is difficult to learn in Year 1, but he added that having a bevy of staff members and transfers from Penn State have expedited the transition.
Heupel said he doesn't "change just to make change" and said he has seen a difference in the building after the firing of Tim Banks and the arrival of Knowles.
"Defensively, we had taken some steps and grown, played really good in '24 and took a massive step back last year," he said. "And some of that is injuries, but some of it is we got to be better, too. And from schemewise to the coaches in the building, trust, care factor, their ability to teach on the grass in the classroom fundamentally, man, I feel like we're absolutely heading in the right direction. Really confident in that."