Former Tulane Green Wave Standout Selected as 2024 Sleeper Candidate
The Tulane Green Wave saw some overturns on their roster this season for their football team. With head coach Willie Fritz taking the head coaching job at Houston and being replaced by Jon Sumrall, changes were to be expected.
The offense saw some big changes. Quarterback Michael Pratt, the 2023 American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, took his talents to the NFL. Former five-star recruit Ty Thompson came to Tulane from Oregon and will be competing for the starting job.
He will have some former top recruits to work with at wide receiver. Shazz Preston transferred in from Alabama and Mario Williams, who has played previously at Oklahoma and USC, is joining him in New Orleans. Returning receiver Dontae Fleming has become a top target through training camp.
Their additions were needed because last season’s top receiver, Chris Brazzell II, transferred out of the program. After leading the Green Wave with 44 receptions and 711 yards, while also scoring five touchdowns, Brazzell landed with the Tennessee Volunteers.
A former three-star recruit, who was the No. 177 wide receiver and No. 194 overall player in Texas, he will be looking to grow his star with the Volunteers in the SEC. Now playing for Tennessee is what landed him on Adam Rittenberg’s list of the top sleepers for the 2024 season over at ESPN.
“Brazzell wouldn't be characterized as a sleeper with his previous team or league, as he earned third-team All-AAC honors after leading Tulane in receiving last fall. He now tries to build his reputation in the SEC and joins a Vols receivers room that includes proven players in Squirrel White, Bru McCoy and Dont'e Thornton Jr., as well as incoming freshman Mike Matthews, an ESPN five-star recruit. But Brazzell has impressed his new coaches, and not just with the big-play ability he displayed at Tulane (seven catches of 30 yards or longer),” Rittenberg wrote.
Finding success in the AAC is one thing; doing it in the star-studded SEC is another. Brazzell has the talent and size to succeed in the jump-up in competition, and as Rittenberg noted, he is already turning the heads of his coaching staff.
Head coach Josh Heupel has been very impressed with his star transfer. He praised Brazzell for the skills that he has showcased beyond being a big play threat.
"He's a guy that pops out for us,” Heupel told ESPN. "He has length, athleticism, has the ability to be extremely explosive vertically but he's gifted that way too, sticks his foot in the ground. He's got great ball skills and he's got a great catch radius."
Opportunities may not be as plentiful with the Volunteers as they were with the Green Wave given how much elite talent is at the wide receiver position. But, Brazzell has the talent to make the most of whatever opportunities come his way and is poised to break out on the bigger stage.
KENNETH TEAPE
Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.