Mike Elko seems to dismiss Faizon Brandon threat, but Texas A&M’s defense is preparing anyway

Faizon Brandon took three snaps in the Tennessee Volunteers’ 34-6 win over the Kentucky Wildcats on Nov. 7, his first action since Tennessee turned to George MacIntyre in the second quarter of an Oct. 3 win over the Auburn Tigers. Those three plays were enough to put the true freshman on Texas A&M’s radar this week.

The Texas A&M Aggies, 4-5, 1-5 SEC, host No. 8 Tennessee at Kyle Field on Saturday in their Operation Blackout game. On Monday, a reporter asked Mike Elko if his defense’s work against South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers gave him confidence the Aggies could handle Brandon.

“Yeah, I don’t think he’s going to be the quarterback, though. I think they’re going to probably stick with the guy they’ve been playing, MacIntyre,” Elko said.

MacIntyre has held the job since his first career start on Oct. 10 at the Arkansas Razorbacks, when he threw for 247 yards and a touchdown in a 24-17 win. Brandon had won the starting job in camp as a five-star freshman before a shoulder injury in the loss to the Texas Longhorns slowed him, a game in which Texas sacked him 10 times. The Auburn game was the last time he started, and against Kentucky, Tennessee worked him back in through situational packages.

Asked Mike Elko if containing LaNorris Sellers gives him confidence that the Aggies can succeed against Faizon Brandon. He said, “Yeah, I don’t think he’s going to be the quarterback though.”

Today, Marcus Ratcliffe said they’re preparing to face both Tennessee QBs @kbtxsports https://t.co/7ufFrCPEZQ

— Nick Kuzma (@NickPKuzma) November 10, 2026

“I think the quarterback is getting better every week and getting more and more comfortable in the system,” Elko said of MacIntyre in the same news conference.

“Some of the situational stuff that we were able to use him in created first downs. He was a major part of that. Explosive run, or pass, to Mike (Matthews). It gives the defenses another thing to prepare for. But those things work because of the execution. The quarterback and the talented guys around him, too,” Josh Heupel said on Monday.

“Faizon, the last week-and-a-half, two weeks, has gotten back to being close to 100%,” Heupel said over the weekend.

How Texas A&M is preparing for both Tennessee quarterbacks

“Yeah, we’re preparing for both. I think MacIntyre, he’s a good field general. He can throw the ball, run the ball a little bit. I think he commands the offense pretty well. The other quarterback, Faizon, he’s just an amazing athlete. He can run the ball well, has a good touch on the ball as well. But they’re two good quarterbacks, and so we’re scheming them a little differently,” Aggies safety Marcus Ratcliffe said Tuesday.

Tennessee can make Texas A&M defend Brandon without starting him, and Heupel has now put on film the packages that make him a problem in short bursts.

The Aggies held South Carolina to 17 points on Nov. 7 while scoring only on three David Olano field goals, and the play that decided it was a quarterback run. With the Gamecocks up 10-9 in the final two minutes, Sellers ran 41 yards for a touchdown on an injured ankle.

Texas A&M needs two more wins for bowl eligibility, with Tennessee, the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas left on the schedule.

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