5-star QB Faizon Brandon eyes NC State visit with commitment on the horizon
Faizon Brandon is nearing a decision, but he wants to take a couple more trips this week before making a definitive commitment. The five-star, top-ranked quarterback plans on traveling to Tennessee Saturday, with a trip to NC State in the works for the day prior.
Earlier this summer, Brandon locked in an Aug. 3 commitment date and dropped a top four of the Wolfpack, the Volunteers, LSU and Alabama. He visited each of those programs in June and now plans on taking a pair of final trips before his decision.
NC State was one of the Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley High star’s first offers, and his longstanding bond with the program kept the Pack in contention going into the final stages of his decision-making process.
“I’m going to Tennessee this week,” Brandon said. “I’m trying to get to NC State.”
Brandon feels about ready to wrap up his recruitment. Over the past couple of months, plenty of questions have been answered. In addition to his in-person impressions of each program, college staffs can now reach out directly to the class of 2026 prospect over social media.
The nation’s No. 1 quarterback will spend this weekend making sure he has a good picture of what each program would look like when he arrives on campus in a couple of years, while also reinforcing his previous impressions of each program.
“I’m feeling pretty good right now,” Brandon said. “I still want to swing back around to a couple of schools and make sure I see everything so I’m very confident with the decision I make.”
His top four separated itself from more than 20 Power Four offers because of the effort they put into his recruitment. During his most recent trip to NC State, the program “felt like family,” and he enjoyed getting to know the program’s support system outside of the coaching staff.
NC State remains squarely in the mix here with 10 days remaining until his decision, and Brandon shared why.
“It’s a very great program that’s very close to home,” Brandon said. “Being able to play at that level with a school that’s not even that far away is a big thing for me.”
The Wolfpack’s coaching staff and its track record with development also appeal to him. Quarterbacks coach Kurt Roper is his primary recruiter, with wide receivers coach Joker Phillips playing a significant role as well.
Those NC State assistants have been recruiting the nation’s No. 1 quarterback and No. 9 overall prospect since his freshman year.
“They’ve built a very good relationship with me,” Brandon said.
Freshman wide receiver Terrell Anderson is also recruiting Brandon to join him in Raleigh. The signal-caller’s former high school teammate told him plenty of positive things about the program since arriving on campus in January. Brandon said that can definitely have an impact on his recruitment.
Sophomore KC Concepcion and freshman Jonathan Paylor are also in his ear. The Pack receivers would be upperclassmen by the time Brandon arrived on campus, and they’re filling him in on what they think about the program.
“They all told me a lot of great things about when they got there,” Brandon said. “They shared a lot of knowledge about the program, so that’s very big for me.”
When he returns to Raleigh, the elite quarterback wants to spend more time with the staff and take a closer look at campus. That quality time with the coaches will be the program’s final pitch before he announces his decision in less than two weeks.
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