Just a year after making the College Football Playoff, the Tennessee football program is now going through some changes. The biggest one was Tennessee hiring Jim Knowles as the new defensive coordinator. He spent time at Ohio State and then was at Penn State in 2025, but now he comes to Rocky Top in a big hire for head coach Josh Heupel.
Tennessee saw star Jermod McCoy declare for the NFL Draft after an injury-filled run with the Volunteers.
On Thursday, another decision came as Tennessee saw wide receiver Chris Brazzell leave for the NFL Draft, as Pete Thamel of ESPN reported.
“Tennessee WR Chris Brazzell II, who led the SEC in receiving yards, has announced he's declared for the NFL draft. He had 62 catches for 1,107 yards and 9 TDs this year for the Vols.”
Brazzell also posted a message on his Instagram account with the declaration and a thank you to both the Tulane and Tennessee football programs.
He began his career at Tulane, and he had 44 catches for 711 yards and five scores in 2023, the same year Tulane defeated USC in the Cotton Bowl.
He transferred to Tennessee in 2024, but he had 29 caches with 333 yards and just two scores.
In 2025, he broke out with 62 catches for 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns as he became a favorite option for QB Joey Aguilar.
There is a chance Brazzell sees his name called in the first round of the upcoming draft, but he currently is projected to go in the second round. It's another loss for Tennessee, but Brazzell is a player to watch in the pre-draft process.
Tennessee faces Illinois in the Music City Bowl on December 30, and Brazzell won't be playing in that one.
