A lot of people criticize Josh Heupel’s offense for being too gimmicky and not working against top teams. Maybe that was true at one point, but the offense has changed a lot over the years and looks much more pro-style now. Last season, Tennessee easily could’ve beaten Georgia, and they still managed to put up 27 points on Oklahoma’s elite defense. The offense wasn’t really the issue in those games.
Above all, some of that criticism has gone beyond college, and it has allegedly made some Tennessee players "undraftable" and "overrated," but former Vols wide receiver Chris Brazell II, who was a third-round pick, has just debunked that theory.
“Every route I’ve ran here, I ran at Tennessee," said Brazzell. "Tennessee is definitely evolving the playbook; they’re getting more pro-style.”
VFL Chris Brazzell puts an end to the “Tennessee can’t develop WR’s” conversation:
— Tri-Star Network (@TriStarNetwork) May 9, 2026
“Every route I’ve ran here, I ran at Tennessee….Tennessee is definitely evolving the playbook, they’re getting more pro style.” pic.twitter.com/hz9icuaUke
This isn’t the first time a former Vol has talked about the changes with Tennessee’s offense. Former quarterback Joey Aguilar had a similar quote about Josh Heupel moving toward a more pro-style system.
"I think the offense in general, if you go back and watch film, was a little less option game and a lot more pro-style offense and pure progression reads and things like that," said Aguilar. "I think the offense that we ran this year was different than the past few years. I'm excited for this journey and the next steps."
Tennessee is becoming more pro-style
Going forward, the evolution of the Heupel offense moving toward a more pro-style scheme will benefit them greatly. Sure, they will still have more of an up-tempo-style offense, with Tennesse trying to stretch the field with explosive plays, but it won't be pure run and gun like it used to be. The Vols used a lot more power running principles last year and fewer very wide splits than usual. More bunched sets allow for better timing and more traditional route trees, which help with NFL development.
There’s nothing wrong with mixing in veer-and-shoot principles and wide splits, but a full system built on just that hasn’t proven it can win consistently. That’s why it’s exciting to see Josh Heupel evolving things, keeping the fast-paced identity while adding more traditional offensive structure.
Brazzell and Aguilar both felt the changes and noted them, which is big, as they are slowly squashing the narrative. If they succeed at the next level, it will only strengthen their claims.
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