Tennessee quarterbacks George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon aren’t just being guided this spring by coach Josh Heupel and offensive coordinator Joey Halzle.
Redshirt junior center Sam Pendleton is pitching in on the tutelage as well.
“With two young quarterbacks, being able to lead from the center spot has been a privilege,” Pendleton said during a recent press conference.
Having a stability factor at center is always a desirable objective in football, and the Volunteers have been able to accomplish that during the Heupel era with Cooper Mays and Pendleton. Mays was at Tennessee before Heupel and was the program’s starter during the 2021-24 seasons, with Pendleton taking over last season after transferring in from Notre Dame.
The 6-foot-4, 315-pounder from Lawsonville, North Carolina, made 13 starts a year ago for the Vols as a redshirt sophomore, so he still has two seasons of eligibility. MacIntyre is a redshirt freshman and Brandon a five-star early enrollee, giving Tennessee a very young quarterback room that also includes redshirt junior and Colorado transfer Ryan Staub.