Chris Brazzell could be another Tennessee transfer gem

Tennessee, under Josh Heupel , has done some excellent work in the transfer portal, routinely finding plug-and-play starters in each of the last three years. This year is no different, and wide receiver Chris Brazell , is one of those transfers turning heads on the practice field.

Brazell was a coveted transfer when he went into the portal from Tulane last offseason. He tore up the American Athletic Conference as a redshirt freshman in 2023, leading Tulane with 44 receptions for 711 yards and five touchdowns without even playing in the bowl game.

Brazzell was named a freshman All-American and had no shortage of suitors when he elected to move on from the Green Wave program.

It didn’t take long in spring practice for Brazzell to stamp himself as a potential impact player in this offense.

As he’s gotten more comfortable and acclimated to his new environment, he’s got people around the program excited about what he can bring to the offense.

“He’s dialed in, man,” wide receiver coach Kelsey Pope said of Brazzell’s work in camp to this point. “Like when he first got here, I don’t think he had a true expectation of what it took in this building and in this league to be successful. And right now he’s in a really good spot.

Brazzell may not have truly appreciated the step up in competition that came from moving into the SEC, but he found out quickly. He has also made the necessary adjustments to do everything he can to get up to speed.

“He’s getting extra meetings, he’s getting extra film, like he’s doing a great job of preparing. And I think as long as he does that and continues to do that, he’ll give himself a shot,” Pope added.

“We’ve still got to obviously make plays on Saturday, but as long as you prepare the right way, you always give yourself a shot to be successful. He’s doing that right now. I’m pleased with him.”

Brazzell is part of what looks like it could be Tennessee’s deepest wide receiver group of the Josh Heupel era.

Bru McCoy is back and healthy after suffering a season ending injury in game five last fall. Squirrel White has kind of quietly amassed 97 catches for 1,284 yards in his first two years in the program.

Donte’ Thornton has generated some buzz after an up-and-down year in 2023, Chas Nimrod has gotten tons of praise for his offseason work and freshman Mike Matthews might have the most raw talent of the bunch.

It’s the kind of position group, where, if you miss a couple of days with a mild injury, someone may come along and steal reps from you.

The competition for playing time is real, and Brazzell is holding his own.

Brazzell may have turned some heads in the spring, but he feels like he’s on a different level now in fall camp.

“The biggest difference for me between the spring and now is getting comfortable learning the plays,” he said.

“Now I can just go out there and play and not have to think and that’s making me better.

“For me just knowing my assignment, being decisive and being able to play fast is the biggest thing now in camp.”

Brazzell is quick to credit McCoy with being a teammate who provides motivation from the example he sets.

He’s not alone in that assessment. One thing we’ve constantly heard from players and coaches alike this fall camp is what a positive leader McCoy has developed into.

Not that he wasn’t always respected voice in the locker room, but by all accounts, he’s cranked it up a notch this fall. Brazzell certainly feels like McCoy pushes him to be a better player.

“Having Bru back is crazy. He’s a guy that’s going to play physical. He’s going to play fast. Having him back makes me feel like I have to be better,” Brazzell said of the example McCoy sets.

“I’ve got to play fast, I’ve got to play physical, I’ve got to know my plays because he’s busting his butt on every play and he knows what he’s supposed to be doing on every play.”

No one following this team seems worried about the wide receiver position. How big the rotation is going to be and who all actually ends up earning regular playing time are things that will get sorted out sooner rather than later. However it shakes out, that position isn’t high on the list of concerns for this football team.

The same can’t be said for their defensive counterparts.

There’s plenty of concern from interested fans about how a secondary that’s going to have five new starters is going to function on Saturdays against quality offenses. It could all work out splendidly, but there’s a little angst out there over the uncertainty.

Brazzell has pretty high regard for the Vols’ secondary and provided an excellent scouting report on the cornerbacks he works against on a daily basis.

“Rickey Gibson, Jermond McCoy, Jalen McMurray, all of those boys are challenging,” Brazzell offered

“With Rickey, if you’re not playing physical with him he’s going to get physical with you and put you in the sidelines.

“McCoy is real athletic, so have to play with more finesse against him.

“Jalen’s real patient and he’s a film guy, so he catches onto your tendencies quick. You’ve got to win at the top of the route against him.

“They’re all different corners and they give me different looks every day.

For his part, Brazzell has landed in an offense that has been extremely receiver friendly in Huepel’s first three years on the job. With Nico Iamaleava at the controls that offense should be back to generating fireworks routinely this fall.

Brazzell looks like a guy that could have a hand in producing some of those fireworks, but he knows it’s not all about the highlight reel plays.

This offense may look flashy, but it’s also built on a strong commitment to the ground game and receivers are most definitely expected to do their part in that regard.

Brazzell doesn’t shy away from that responsibility, and in fact, he’s made improving his blocking a priority.

“I can get better as a blocker, for sure. It’s a mindset, if you want to block somebody you can do it. I need to stay on my blocks longer. I feel like sometimes I’m in a good spot, but the play is not really to my side yet, so holding the block for a few more seconds is something that I can get better on.”

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