Faizon Brandon is getting paid a lot of money to play college football at Tennessee. You might see him driving a Mercedes AMG on the streets of Knoxville.
The true freshman quarterback did not spare any expense on his transportation.
Although this kind of vehicle is not uncommon in the modern era of college football, it does not get any less shocking to see just how far we have come in only the last five years. Brandon is barely 18 years old.
How much money is Tennessee paying Faizon Brandon to play college football?
At 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, Faizon Brandon ranked as the No. 3 overall player in the recruiting Class of 2026 behind two other five-star quarterbacks. He received 25 scholarship offers out of Grimsley High School in North Carolina. He ultimately committed to Tennessee over N.C. State, LSU and Alabama. It was a huge get for the Volunteers.
Brandon enrolled at the university in January, which allowed him to join his team for the spring practice period. His first six months in Knoxville also proved valuable in the weight room. Although he just turned 18 years old on the first of June, Brandon already weighs more than some of his upperclassmen linebacker teammates. The second-semester early enrollee certainly does not look like a true freshman after his ~25-pound weight gain.
His bank account also does not look like a true freshman back account.
According to Pete Nakos, Tennessee is going to pay its newest quarterback a salary of somewhere between $1-1.5 million for his first year. That is in addition to his two-year, $1.2 million NIL deal with Leaf Trading Cards.
Assuming those numbers are accurate, Brandon is a multi-millionaire just two months into his 19th year of life. That’s crazy.
How much money does it cost to buy his Mercedes AMG GLE Coup?
Unless it was presented as a gift, Faizon Brandon spent a good chunk of money on his first vehicle as a college football player. Admiral Detailing is based out of Knoxville, Tennessee. The mobile car detailing service is the go-to for all of the top UT athletes.
Brandon called on Admiral at the beginning of summer. He drives a Mercedes-Benz AMG Coupe SUV. I am pretty sure it is a GLE 63 S, which features a 604-horsepower 4.0L twin-turbo V8 engine. It achieves 0-60 miles per hour in 3.7 seconds.
Admiral got his vehicle looking right. They always do a great job!
If this car is what I think it is, the most basic 2026 model starts at $133,000. That does not include any of the upgrades or custom wraps. A lease typically ranges from $1,4000 to $1,850+ per month with somewhere around $14,500 due at signing. Not cheap!
Perhaps this SUV was a gift to Brandon as part of his deal with Tennessee and its boosters. If not, he has more than enough money to pay for the Mercedes on his own. Must be nice!