With Tennessee wide receiver Chris Brazzell officially opting out of the Music City Bowl to prepare for the NFL Draft, the Volunteers will turn to a pair of talented freshmen to help fill the void when they take the field against Illinois on Tuesday night in Nashville. While we don’t yet know exactly how the snaps will be split, head coach Josh Heupel has made it clear: Radarious Jackson and Travis Smith Jr. are going to see the field - and the Vols are expecting them to make an impact.
Both Jackson and Smith came to Knoxville as four-star prospects in the 2025 signing class, and while their freshman campaigns were relatively quiet - a mix of injuries and a stacked depth chart will do that - each showed flashes that suggest they’re more than capable of stepping into a bigger role.
Let’s start with Jackson. The Memphis native played in eight games this season, catching seven passes for 72 yards.
His most productive outing came in a blowout win over ETSU, where he hauled in three catches for 35 yards. He also made appearances on the stat sheet in some of Tennessee’s biggest matchups, logging receptions against Georgia, Kentucky, Florida, and Vanderbilt.
At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, Jackson brings a physical presence to the outside, and he’s not shy about what he brings to the table.
“I’m a pretty big receiver,” Jackson said during fall camp. “Physical.
I can go get the ball. Got route running, got a little speed on me.
But my biggest strength? I’d say, like, a jump ball type guy.”
Smith, meanwhile, had a tougher road this season due to injuries that kept him off the field for much of the year. Still, he managed to record three catches for 29 yards in limited action.
Two of those receptions came against ETSU, while the other was a nine-yard grab against UAB. At 6-foot-3, Smith has the frame and athleticism to be a problem for opposing secondaries, and he was one of the more highly regarded receivers in his class - ranked 18th nationally at the position and 19th overall in the state of Georgia.
He played his high school ball at Westlake in Atlanta, a program known for producing top-tier talent.
Heupel spoke highly of both players during Friday’s pre-bowl press conference, praising their development and resilience throughout the season.
“Yeah, Radarious, Travis, both of those guys get in action, expect both of them to play at a really high level,” Heupel said. “Those were guys that we had a lot of trust [in] heading into the season based on what they had done during spring ball.
Their maturity, their summer prep. Both of them got nicked up at different points during the season, but have finished in a great way, and expect them to play really well.”
Throughout the year, Jackson and Smith were slotted in as backup outside receivers behind Brazzell and fellow freshman standout Mike Matthews. With Brazzell now officially out, the door opens for both Jackson and Smith to get meaningful reps against an Illinois defense that has been battle-tested in the Big Ten.
This game won’t just be about finishing the 2025 season on a high note - it’s also a preview of what’s to come in 2026. With Brazzell heading to the pros, Tennessee’s receiving corps is going to look a bit different next fall, and both Jackson and Smith are in prime position to carve out bigger roles in Heupel’s high-octane offense.
Tennessee (8-4) and Illinois (8-4) will square off in the Music City Bowl on Tuesday evening at Nissan Stadium. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m.
ET on ESPN. For the Vols, it’s a chance to close out the season with momentum - and for two young receivers, it’s an opportunity to show they’re ready for the spotlight.