2026 five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon, a Tennessee Vols commit, generated national headlines last month when news broke that his family is suing the state of North Carolina because of its NIL laws.
Brandon, who plays football at Grimsley High School in Greensboro, isn’t allowed to earn income from NIL deals because he attends a public school.
High school athletes in North Carolina who attend private schools, however, are allowed to earn income from NIL deals. That’s why 2025 five-star offensive lineman David Sanders Jr, a Vols commit who attends Providence Day in Charlotte, can sell shirts and other merchandise on his website.
(Last month, 2026 five-star tight end Kendre Harrison transferred from Reidsville High School to Providence Day where he’s playing alongside Sanders this fall.)
Brandon’s family is suing the state of North Carolina because the five-star recruit was unable to take advantage of a “life changing” NIL opportunity due to the fact that he attends a public school.