Chris Brazzell II wasn’t surprised that the bigger offers weren’t piling by up.

He says that’s what happens to players from Midland, Texas, where Brazzell starred at West Texas 6A football power Midland Legacy High School.

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As Brazzell, a three-star prospect in the 2022 class neared a decision, the most high profile of his suitors was Pittsburgh. The rest of the list included FCS Austin Peay, Florida Atlantic, New Mexico State and Tulane.

Tulane is where Brazzell signed and played the previous two seasons. By the end of his redshirt freshman season, he was the team's leading receiver with 44 receptions for 711 yards and five touchdowns.

When Brazzell entered the transfer portal amid a coaching change after the 2023 season, the once overlooked prospect was no longer flying under anyone's radar.

"My biggest offer was Pitt...I feel like where I'm from kind of gets overlooked," Brazzell said. "I felt like that played a big factor as well. I was a guy in high school, as well. I just feel like it was just because of where I was from."

The 6-foot-5 Brazzell had drawn plenty of interest from bigger programs by December, including Josh Heupel and Tennessee as they looked to bolster their wide receiving room after offensive production took a dip in 2023.

Brazzell committed and is now three weeks into his first spring camp with the Vols, displaying the kind of abilities and versatility that made him a highly sought-after transfer prospect.

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"Chris has a unique skill set. He is loose like a slot, he's smooth, he can obviously make the deep catches, you saw that on his film last year," Tennessee wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope said. "He's really, really subtle and sudden in his transition. He's a big guy who has the ability to play small as well in tight spaces. We're fortunate to have him, his presence here has been seen, and it's also forced some other guys, and they're stepping their game up because they see that there's real competition in that room. It's been awesome to have him."

Being a big downfield target for quarterbacks is relatively new for Brazzell.

He used to play running back and quarterback and was a point guard on the basketball court before a late growth spurt his junior and senior year in high school shot him up another three to four inches.

But Brazzell doesn't want the size to fool anyone. He's plenty fast and shifty, too which can allow the coaching staff to plug him in anywhere.

"I'm a bigger and also a taller receiver. I'm not really like a big-body receiver who runs big-guy routes," Brazzell said. "I'm able to run a slant, curl or a dig route. I'm also able to take the top off. I feel like I am an all-around receiver."

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The opportunity to play in a fast-paced, receiver-friendly offense was a strong selling point for Brazzell, but it wasn't the only one.

When mulling over his options, Brazzell wanted to play somewhere with stability at quarterback. He found it in Tennessee where Nico Iamaleava is entering just his second season and his first as the Vols' full-time starter.

"With Nico (Iamaleava), I know he has about three years left," Brazzell said. "Most places, the quarterback either left or had one year of eligibility. Coming here, I'm feeling comfortable with the quarterback, knowing I'm going to be here for two to three years. It was a big factor in that."

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