Over the weekend, Tennessee football fans were beyond worried when a report arrived that wide receiver Chris Brazzell had been arrested in Knoxville. As it turns out, Brazzell was pulled over for driving 60 MPH in a 35 MPH zone and his license was actually suspended due to him not showing up for a previous court appearance.
Brazzell will reportedly appear in court on Aug. 20, but this traffic violation doesn't seem like it's going to lead to a suspension of any sort. Instead, Brazzell was back on the practice field with the Vols on Monday to start the new week. This was a bit of a surprise since he had been injured, but it's of course a welcome return for the Vols offense:
Week-3 of @Vol_Football Fall Camp is underway. Among those practicing with the team was WR Chris Brazzell who made some news off the field this weekend. He's been nursing a lower body injury, but took part in individual and some team drills during our time inside @WVLTSports pic.twitter.com/rv4lz6BTas
— Rick Russo (@wvltrick) August 11, 2025
Tennessee WR Chris Brazzell was back at practice with the Vols on Monday
This is good news all around. Heupel clearly spoke with Brazzell and told him he needs to make better decisions off the field, but the incident wasn't deemed serious enough where he was going to be kept away from the team. From a WR standpoint, UT needs all the bodies it can get.
Brazzell had been nursing a lower-leg injury and with the season-opener around the corner, there was worry about his availability. Add in his weekend arrest and it felt like it was going to be a long shot that he'd be good to go for Week 1.
Thankfully, he was suited up with his teammates on Monday and while he wasn't a full participant, he did individual drills and was able to partake in other team sessions too. With so many new faces at receiver, having Brazzell healthy and available is key for Tennessee in 2025.
He's coming off a season in which he posted 29 receptions for 333 yards and two touchdowns. He's Tennessee's most veteran returning wideout and he'll be looked at to be a key leader for the group. We don't know if it will be Joey Aguilar or Jake Merklinger throwing him the ball, but having Brazzell out there early in the season will be crucial for the Vols to get off to a fast start.