Tennessee entered this football season with only seven scholarship receivers, with that contingent containing no seniors and one junior.
Yet that one junior was Chris Brazzell II, and he has turned out to be everything the Volunteers could have wanted and more. The 6-foot-5, 200-pounder from Midland, Texas, leads the Southeastern Conference with 531 yards on 31 receptions, which has yielded a 17.1-yard average and a nation-leading seven touchdown catches.
“We anticipated and believed that he had a chance to grow and to play at the level that he is right now, and not just him but the entire room,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said this week. “You heard me say in the offseason that there was a point of emphasis that our young guys can’t be young. Coach (Kelsey) Pope and that receiver group have done a great job in continuing to grow.
“Obviously Chris has played extremely well and has done a great job with one-on-one situations, attacking the ball and making plays. He’s been a big part of the success we’ve had.”
Brazzell is only in his second season at Tennessee after transferring from Tulane.