The questions around Tennessee football’s passing game dominated the offseason. And for good reason after the Vols’ offense struggled to move the ball through the air each of the last two seasons. Once Nico Iamaleava departed via the transfer portal, most those questions surrounded quarterback play and eventually Joey Aguilar.
But there were plenty of questions about Tennessee’s receivers too with the Vols opting to lean on their returning receivers and not adding any difference makers via the transfer portal. Most people, including myself, turned to underclassmen Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley as the potential difference makers in the room.
Both have had solid starts to the season but it’s veteran Chris Brazzell who has been the breakout star of Tennessee’s receiver room through three weeks. Through three games, Brazzell’s caught 20 passes for 364 yards and five touchdowns. He leads the nation in receiving touchdowns, ranks second in receiving yards and is right outside the top 10 in total receptions.
It’s a complete 180 from a season ago when Brazzell started nearly all 13 games and caught just 29 passes for 333 yards and two touchdowns. He’s already exceeded his receiving yards and touchdowns from a season ago and could exceed his receptions from a season ago with a strong showing against UAB Saturday.
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“I think attention to detail has been a huge part of his success,” Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said of Brazzell. “Understanding coverage, understanding his role in the scheme, playing with great fundamentals and technique. He’s playing really confident, going up and attacking the football. He did a great job Saturday and has the first couple of weeks.”
The most impressive part of Brazzell’s start to the season is that he’s not just feasting against weaker competition. Brazzell’s best performance came last week against Georgia when he caught six passes for 177 yards and three touchdowns. Not only was it the best performance of his Tennessee career but it’s one of the best single-game performances by any receiver in Josh Heupel’s five years as head coach.
That performance is raising Brazzell’s draft stock with The Ringer’s Todd McShay even saying that the redshirt junior is a candidate to be the top receiver off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft.
It will be nearly impossible for any receiver to match Jalin Hyatt’s five touchdown performance against Alabama in 2022. But through three games this season, Brazzell’s production has exceeded Hyatt’s through three games that season— a year that he became the first ever Tennessee receiver to win the Biletnikoff Award.
Brazzell and Tennessee’s offense is looking to keep its impressive 2025 season going this week when they host UAB at Neyland Stadium. Kickoff is at 12:45 p.m. ET. Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb and Alyssa Lang are on the call for the SEC Network.
