After returning from injury to Tennessee football’s practice activities on Monday, wide receiver Chris Brazzell II has now taken a ‘big step’ in his effort to make a full return. When receivers coach Kelsey Pope met with the media after practice on Thursday, he noted that Brazzell did the most that day than any other practice to this point.
“He obviously hasn’t had a ton of reps,” Pope said. “He’s got to get his body into shape. I think he’s gotta do that. He took a big step again today. He was able to kind of come along today the furthest he’s been this fall camp. But he knows he’s got a way to go in that room to be able to play and do what we need him to do.”
When the media was able to watch practice on Monday, Brazzell was still limited in a lot of ways. During warmups, Brazzell was with the wide receivers, stretching. When the team split up for special teams work, he was quickly attended to by a trainer and did not participate.
When the wide receiver room went to its own portion of the field, Brazzell participated in a drill where they caught passes through contact. He was second in line behind just Mike Matthews. During routes on air, he ran abbreviated routes and did not appear to be at full speed.
Brazzell was in a white jersey and not a red non-contact or yellow jersey, which other players on the team have worn throughout fall camp while battling injury.
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This comes less than a week following Brazzell’s arrest on Aug. 8, 2025. He reportedly was pulled over on the Henley Street Bridge for going 60 mph in a 35 mph zone. He was driving on a suspended license after failing to appear in Blount County court in August 2024.
This has not been the reason Brazzell has missed the start of fall camp, though. He is nursing a lower-body injury that has held him out.
Brazzell transferred to Tennessee from Tulane ahead of the 2024 season and started at receiver on the Vols’ 2024 College Football Playoff team. The 6-foot-5 receiver managed to reel in 29 passes for 333 yards and two touchdowns.
While he totaled just two touchdowns, Brazzell had perhaps the most important one of the season. The West Texas native caught a 16-yard go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter against Alabama as Tennessee knocked off the Crimson Tide 24-17 in a critical rivalry win.
