Mother of ’26 QB recruit suing N.C. over NIL rules

RALEIGH, N.C. — The mother of a touted high school quarterback who has committed to play for the Tennessee Volunteers is suing the state of North Carolina over its restrictions against public-school athletes cashing in on their fame.

Rolanda Brandon filed the complaint last week in Wake County Superior Court. Her son is Greensboro Grimsley quarterback Faizon Brandon, who is ranked No. 32 in the ESPN Junior 300 and is the No. 4 pocket passer in the class.

The North Carolina State Board of Education and the Department of Public Instruction are named as defendants. The lawsuit followed a policy adopted in June blocking the state’s public-school athletes from making money through the use of their name, image and likeness.

“The State Board of Education was asked to create rules allowing public high school athletes to use their NIL — it was not empowered to ban it,” Charlotte-based attorney Mike Ingersoll said in a statement to The Charlotte Observer. “We look forward to correcting the State Board’s error and to help our client benefit from the incredible value and opportunities his hard work and commitment have created for his name, image, and likeness.”

The complaint states that “a prominent national trading card company” had agreed to pay for Faizon to sign memorabilia before graduation, offering the family “financial security for years to come,” WRAL of Raleigh reported.

North Carolina is among the states that don’t permit NIL activities such as endorsements for public appearances at camps or autograph signings, all of which have become common at the college level.

That restriction, however, doesn’t apply to private-school athletes, such as fellow Tennessee recruit David Sanders, the No. 4 overall prospect in the 2025 ESPN 300 who plays for Charlotte’s Providence Day School. Sanders has a website dedicated toward selling merchandise with his own image.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.