Tennessee football has opened the door in back-to-back offseasons to acquire a game-breaking wide receiver, and now these two wideouts are vying to fill that role.
In 2023, Donte Thornton transferred from Oregon State to UT. He had a disappointing debut season due to injuries and playing outside the quota.
In January, UT acquired Chris Brazell, who transferred to Tulane, to fill the role originally intended for Thornton.
UT needs at least one, and preferably both, to break out this season and be a weapon for quarterback Nico Iamareaba. And since the Vols have a tight wide receiver rotation, Thornton and Brazell could impact each other's playing time.
But don't expect them to go head-to-head in spring practice.
From their lean 6-foot-5 frames to their similar paths to UT, Thornton and Brazell seem interchangeable. However, the two are very different in important ways that could impact the wide receiver rotation for the 2024 season.
Donte Thornton, Chris Brazell excel in different routes
Thornton is a long strider who is comfortable running vertical routes.
At best, UT fans should hope he can make an impact similar to Javonta Payton, who had 413 receiving yards and six TDs and led the SEC with an average of 22.9 yards per catch in 2021. In the worst case scenario, perhaps Thornton could be a capable backup for a receiving corps that typically suffers at least one major injury per season.
Thornton's 2023 season was frustrating. He struggled with a lingering injury in the preseason. He was used in that slot early in the season, with coaches hoping he could replicate Jalin Hiatt's success as a vertical threat.
Instead, Thornton was uncomfortable, inconsistent, and prone to dropping short passes. He converted to outside receiver and had six catches for 135 yards and one TD in his final three games before suffering a season-ending foot injury.
“(Playing outside receiver) is more comfortable for me because I've played that position my whole life,” Thornton said. ”
Brazzell's root tree appears to be more extensive.
Wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope said Brazell is a “big guy with the ability to play small in tight spaces,” especially in the middle.
“Chris has a unique skill set. He's as loose as the slot. He's smooth,” Pope said. “He can make deep catches, and we saw that in his film last year as well. But he's very subtle and sudden in his transitions (on receiver routes).”
Brazell said his smooth movement comes from his background playing basketball and his growth spurt in late high school. He was small most of his life until he grew a few inches and became a tall wide receiver.
“I've always played like a little guy,” Brazell said. “So I'm not like a big-bodied receiver that just runs big guy routes. I can also run slants, curls and digs. But I can also come off the top (on deep routes).”
Who can start at wide receiver for the Vols?
These differences are important for how the Vols could use Thornton and Brazell.
During practice sessions open to the media, Thornton was lined up as a backside wide receiver, where Blue McCoy is expected to primarily play after returning from an ankle injury. Freshman Mike Matthews, a former five-star recruit, was the runner-up to Thornton.
Rhys White, who was the team's top receiver last season, returns in this slot. Freshman Braylon Staley, a former four-star recruit, was his backup.
Brazell lined up with the slot receiver on the opposite side of Thornton and the outside receiver on the same side. Caleb Webb is splitting reps with Brazell at the position.
That sets up a scenario where the starting receivers could be McCoy, White or Brazzell when the season arrives. Mr. Brazzell clearly recognizes that possibility.
“I feel like all of our receivers are better than each other. We have a lot of dogs on our team,” Brazzell said. “So it's going to be a bit of a fun time having me with guys like Blue and Rhys.”
VOLS Defense SecondaryOnce-overlooked transfer is competing with Tennessee's prized recruit
That would leave Thornton either a situational deep threat or an insurance policy in case McCoy doesn't return to full strength quickly.
Of course, UT uses different formations at receiver. And Pope said all options are on the table, as he used eight different rotations in eight spring practices.
But it's clear the Vols have different plans for the transfer receivers they acquired from the portal over the past two years.
Adam Sparks is a football beat reporter for Tennessee. Emailadam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Please support strong local journalism by subscribing at . knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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