Josh Heupel did not provide much clarity surrounding Tennessee's quarterback situation and whether freshman starter Faizon Brandon would be under center against Alabama.
The Volunteers' initial SEC player availability report did slightly.
Brandon was listed as questionable in the SEC player availability report that was released on Wednesday night.
REQUIRED READING: Why Josh Heupel is vague about Tennessee QBs Faizon Brandon, George MacIntyre vs Alabama
The 6-foot-4 quarterback started Tennessee's first five games of the season, with his only loss coming against Texas at Neyland Stadium in Week 4. Despite leading the Volunteers to a 4-1 record, Brandon struggled to consistently spark the offense, surpassing 200 passing yards just once during that stretch, in the season opener against Furman. Those struggles ultimately led to him being benched against Auburn on Oct. 3.
He was ruled out injured last week at Arkansas.
Here's the latest on Brandon:
Faizon Brandon injury update
Brandon was listed as questionable on Tennessee's initial SEC player availability report on Wednesday for Saturday's game vs. Alabama.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel declined to publicly name a starter for Saturday's top-15 game during his Monday press conference. As noted by Adam Sparks of the Knoxville News Sentinel — part of the USA TODAY Network — Heupel not naming a starting quarterback is not something new, as he has followed that approach since Brandon was replaced by MacIntyre in Week 5 vs. Auburn.
"We'll find out here through the week. We get on the grass tomorrow (Tuesday), and we'll work towards Saturday," Heupel said.
Brandon suffered an apparent right shoulder injury in a 20-17 loss to then-No. 1 Texas on Saturday, Sept. 26.
The freshman quarterback was an "emergency" option for the Volunteers last week against Arkansas, as MacIntyre earned the start. Brandon threw some passes in pregame warm-ups on the field as well.
What injury does Faizon Brandon have?
Brandon is dealing with a shoulder injury.
"Faizon is dealing with an injury. George handled it well when Faizon got named the starter. Faizon has handled it well dealing with his shoulder, continuing to stay invested at practice in the meeting room (and) helping that room out. He was here for emergency use only," Heupel said after Tennessee's win at Arkansas in Week 6.
Faizon Brandon stats
Below is a look at Faizon Brandon stats this season at Tennessee:
- Passing: 61-of-101 passing for 697 yards with seven touchdowns and an interception
- Rushing: 53 carries for 130 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns
Be sure to check out USA TODAY Sports' new College Football Unfiltered podcast, hosted by USA TODAY Sports columnist Blake Toppmeyer. You can stream on YouTube or download via Apple podcasts and Spotify.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Faizon Brandon injury update: Tennessee QB questionable vs Alabama