'He's in a really good spot': Tennessee transfer receiver Chris Brazzell is 'dialed in'
Tennessee wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope stood at the podium during a spring practice press conference and described Tulane transfer Chris Brazzell as giving the Vols “a unique skillset” out of the NCAA Transfer Portal.
“He’s 6-3, 6-4,” Pope said at the time. “He is loose like a slot. He’s smooth, he can obviously make the deep catches, you saw that on his film last year. He’s really, really subtle and sudden in his transition.”
Now, six months later, the newness has worn off for Brazzell and he’s settling in. Or dialing in, as Pope said last week.
“When he first got here,” Pope said, “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. He’s dialed in. 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, right?”
Chris Brazzell last season: 44 catches, 771 yards, five touchdowns
Brazzell earned his shot after a breakout sophomore season at Tulane, catching 44 passes for 771 yards and five touchdowns and leading to more than 38 scholarship offers after he entered the transfer portal.
He was ranked No. 18 among transfer wide receivers in the 2024 class and was No. 97 overall in the portal according to the On3 rankings.
“I’m just hopefully able to win some games for the team,” Brazzell said back in the spring. “I feel like all of the receivers better each other. We have a lot of talent on the team, so meshing me with guys like Bru (McCoy) and Squirrel (White) should be fun.”
Brazzell made his unofficial debut in Tennessee’s Orange and White Game in April, catching four passes for 89 yards, including a 71-yard touchdown in the second half.
“We still got to obviously make plays on Saturday,” Pope said last week, “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.”
Kelsey Pope on wide receiver depth: ‘It’s a huge testament to what we’re doing in recruiting’
Brazzell at Tennessee joined a deep, veteran wide receiver group that returns the likes of McCoy, White, Dont’e Thornton, Chas Nimrod and Kaleb Webb. Freshmen Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley joined the group alongside Brazzell, too.
Pope said he “absolutely” believes this is the deepest group of Tennessee wide receivers he has coached.
“I think it’s a huge testament to what we’re doing in recruiting,” Pope said, “what our personnel department is doing to bring talent in here. And it’s also affecting our room in a positive way. Guys are competitive on and off the field and it has helped us grow, helped those guys individually.”
