Tulane wide receiver Chris Brazzell II puts in the work to reach his potential

Tulane football has not been known for having a standout corps of wide receivers in several years, but that’s something that has begun to change.

The Green Wave produced explosive highlights in the passing game to complement the great work Tyjae Spears did on the ground last season on the road to winning the American Athletic Conference and the Cotton Bowl.

Looking at the group on paper heading into the 2023 season, veterans Jha’quan Jackson and Lawrence Keys immediately stand out. Meanwhile, the battle for snaps is more spirited with options than Tulane has enjoyed in quite some time.

Observing preseason practice, it’s easy to get the sense Chris Brazzell II may be one of the most gifted wideouts to ever come through Yulman Stadium.

Brazzell has a high ceiling and brings a lot to the table. The redshirt freshman from Midland, Texas has put on weight since signing in the 2022 class and has reaped the benefits of his work with strength and conditioning coach Kurt Hester.

“Chris (Brazzell) is getting better every day,” newly-promoted offensive coordinator Slade Nagle said. “He’s worked hard. The offseason, the summer, it’s changed his body.”

Nagle said Brazzell weighed somewhere in the ballpark of over 190 pounds, up from roughly 175 pounds last season.

Showing flashes throughout the spring and the fall, Brazzell has yet to show it in a game at Tulane. One of his biggest moments was his touchdown reception that was called back during the spring game.

“He’s got loads of ability and he’s showing up. He’s showing up every day,” Nagle said. “He’s got the ability to make plays. So we’ve been pleased with him. Looking forward to him keeping on an upward trajectory and having a good season.”

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Brazzell has noticed major differences in his game after working to build up his frame and believes it’s established a new level of trust for both himself and the coaching staff.

“Definitely have improved that aspect,” Brazzell said. “I believe I was around 182, that had to be my max, coming into the fall. Right now, I weigh in at 194.”

Confidence-wise, it’s been a game-changer for him.

“That gave me confidence that like, okay, I can run this little skinny route and this slant route and I can take the hit,” Brazzell said. “The coaches know I’m a little bit bigger now and that I can withstand some bigger hits from last year.”

Brazzell feels he’s settling into his role by becoming more comfortable with his quarterback as he continues to gain experience.

“I feel like I’m getting a better connection with (Michael) Pratt,” Brazzell said. “Throughout the spring and entirety of fall camp, I feel like we’ve been meshing pretty good. I feel like I’ve got to continue to get better at getting out of my breaks, and that’s my biggest thing right now.”

Pratt has described him as a prospect who would be “unstoppable” as long as he added weight earlier this offseason.

Working with more seasoned players like Jackson and Lawrence Keys has also paid dividends for Brazzell.

“Last year took me under their wing, for sure, being a freshman,” Brazzell said. “Quan still helps and is there for me on every rep. It’s kind of the same thing with Keys, and I’m trying to match some of what he does.”

The receivers have gathered together on their own time during the offseason, and the dedication to football and each other has helped them to become more in sync.

“Quan is a good leader, he gets the guys together to make sure that we’re all on the same page,” Brazzell said. “It’s more than just going out there and running routes. You’ve got to really be in line with the person next to you and it’s a timing thing as well when it comes to getting off the ball so it’s important.”

Moving forward, Brazzell is looking forward to showing more of what he can do. Based on who he studies on film, that impact could be a sort of combination of Tee Higgins, Chad Ochocinco, Justin Jefferson and Quentin Johnson.

“Higgins reminds me of some things that are similar to me between his body type and the way he moves, jumps up — he’s like a hooper who converted to football,” Brazzell said. “Has the ability to really get vertical and move his body well. And (Quentin) Johnson is a really athletic, long guy who can go and get the ball. I feel like I can do that too. He’s really physical off the line. He can go and catch the ball and stiff arm you, juke you.”

At the end of the day, seeing the field and becoming a trusted receiver comes down to playing his part and doing what’s asked of him within the Green Wave offense.

“I’m a guy that Coach Nagle can put out there and just say, ‘hey, run that route.”

Chris Brazzell hopes doing all of the little things can result in big moments for Tulane this fall.