Here are more SEC camp/starter news including updates for Florida, Tennessee and LSU.
16Powers.com
SEC Football Update — August 25, 2026 — 12:59 AM CT
There are three major developments worth adding to our preseason watch:
Florida has settled its quarterback competition. Florida Gators football coach Jon Sumrall named Aaron Philo the No. 1 quarterback on August 24. The Georgia Tech transfer beat out Tramell Jones Jr. and will take the bulk of first-team snaps preparing for the September 5 opener against Florida Atlantic. Florida’s own athletics department confirmed the move.
Tennessee has made the most dramatic QB decision of the day. Tennessee Volunteers football is going with true freshman Faizon Brandon over George MacIntyre. Brandon was a five-star recruit and will become Tennessee’s first true freshman to start a season opener at quarterback since 2004. Just two days earlier, Josh Heupel said the competition remained ongoing, so this represents a genuine late-camp change.
LSU is getting an extraordinary late roster boost. LSU Tigers football is moving to add former Ole Miss defensive lineman Zxavian Harris and tight end Dae’Quan Wright, both of whom had already moved into the NFL. A Louisiana court ruling temporarily restored a fifth year of college eligibility to a group of players from the 2022 recruiting class. Harris was recently waived by the New Orleans Saints, while Wright was waived by Cleveland. Adding two experienced SEC veterans this close to the opener could materially strengthen LSU’s defensive front and tight-end room.
The Tennessee and Florida quarterback decisions are definite changes to their 2026 outlooks, while the LSU situation is unusual enough that I’ll keep watching it closely because eligibility/legal developments could still affect whether those additions actually play.
"I think that [Faizon Brandon] is better set up than Keelon Russell is." 👀@Chip_Patterson weighs in on Faizon Brandon starting at quarterback for Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/k86j6FdzlZ
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) August 25, 2026
