Receiver Chris Brazzell details Tennessee’s new-look secondary

Tennessee won big with the transfer portal addition of wide receiver Chris Brazzell this offseason. The former Tulane standout was named a Freshman All-American while leading the Green Wave in receiving in 2023.   

Now in Knoxville, the 6-foot-5, 200-pound playmaker is out to prove himself daily. He’s trying to earn a spot in the starting lineup for the Vols this season and translate his 44 receptions for 771 yards and five touchdowns to the Southeastern Conference.

“Brazzell is very competitive and plays with a lot of fire and energy,” defensive backs coach Willie Martinez told the media last week. “He’s a highly competitive and physical player. He’s not very quiet, which is kind of cool. That’s kind of like we like it, but he’s making us better.” 

The newcomer has certainly turned some heads over the spring and into fall camp. He’s going to be making plays for Tennessee this fall while catching passes from quarterback Nico Iamaleava. But just as the new Volunteer wide receiver is trying to prove himself, so is a new-look secondary for Martinez and defensive coordinator Tim Banks.   

Brazzell was asked last week who has stood out to him thus far in preseason camp on the other side of the ball. Without hesitation, the pass-catcher blurted out a trio of cornerbacks in Rickey Gibson, Jermod McCoy and Jalen McMurray. Brazzell said that all three, who are Tennessee’s top-three at the position entering the new season, are a ‘challenge’ in different ways.  

“Ricky, if you’re not playing physical against Ricky, he is going to play physical against you and put you on the sideline,” the wide receiver said, shaking his head. “McCoy is real athletic, so you have to play more finesse against him. Jalen is patient and a film guy, so he catches onto tendencies quick. So, you got to win at the top of the route against him.

“They are all different corners who give me different looks every day.”

Gibson played around 200 snaps a season ago as a true freshman in a veteran-led cornerback room. He started for the Vols during the 35-0 win over Iowa in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl and was the top-returner this spring after a bevy of departures.

McCoy, a fellow transfer, started five games as a true freshman at Oregon State last season and led the Beavers in both pass-breakups (7) and interceptions (2). He originally signed out of high school to play wide receiver, where he also excelled as an all-state track and field athlete.  

McMurray brings loads of experience to Rocky Top after starting 23 games over 27 appearances at Temple the past three seasons. He’ll be the first corner off the bench this season, ahead of sophomore Jordan Matthews and veteran William Wright.

It’s not just the corners that are new for Tennessee. The Vols will also start two new safeties and a nickelback in 2024 as all five starters from a season ago are no longer with the program. Despite the newness, however, the secondary unit has grown over spring and into fall camp and are working together to become a unit.

“Most definitely. They play more as a collective team,” Brazzell said of the secondary’s improvements. “Back in the spring, Ricky and the guys weren’t really talking pre-snap. Now we get out there and they are making adjustments on the fly – switching off real good. They are getting better every day.”   

Just as skilled and athletic cornerbacks and safeties are making Brazzell better in practice, he too is giving the unproven secondary a lot to handle in scrimmages. With both sides working to improve, Tennessee is getting better in the process.

“Every day, his speed and his competitiveness,” Martinez praised on how Brazzell challenges the defensive backs. “You have to have great energy and stuff like that. He’s very competitive and a high-level player, so that’s only going to make us better. We have a great group of wide receivers that, again, are going to be playing on Sunday, so it’s easy for my job to tell the kids, ‘hey man, you want a great resume? Put it on video. Put it on video against these guys that are going to be playing on Sunday.’ Brazzell is one of those guys.”

Tennessee sits just six days away from the season-opener against Chattanooga on August 31. It won’t take long to see how Brazzell and these new Volunteer defensive backs have made each other better.