Chandavian Bradley burst onto the scene and drew the attention of a number of major college programs during his breakout sophomore season at Platte County High School in Platte City, Mo. Last year, Platte County coach
Bill Utz got a better idea of all the ways Bradley’s versatile skill set could help the Pirates on the field.
Bradley, a five-star Class of 2023 edge rusher, announced his commitment to Tennessee on Sunday afternoon, picking the Vols over South Carolina and Texas A&M. Utz told 247Sports’ Kevin Sinclair last season that Bradley is “a pretty special player that can do some pretty dynamic things.”
“Chandavian is a talented and coachable player,” Utz told GoVols247 of Bradley, who’s ranked the No. 36 overall prospect and No. 5 edge rusher in the 2023 class and the No. 1 rising senior from the state of Missouri, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.
“He is gifted at many things, and is even a better young man. I am proud to have him represent our program.”
Utz told Sinclair last season that the Pirates were able to use Bradley “in some different spots that we didn't necessarily see going into it, which ultimately is making him a better player and probably getting him ready for his future on kind of what I think he can evolve to.”
“The reason we're able to do that, ultimately, is because he's such a dynamic athlete,” Utz told Sinclair at the time, referring to Bradley. “We put him in spots and we see him make plays, dropping into coverage and whatnot, and it looks like he's out there playing basketball, almost.
“Especially early on, we had him down more on the line and kind of getting tangled up with some offensive linemen and kind of getting washed around a little bit.
“But then we realized that he's quick enough and fast enough, if we move him off a little bit, slide him around a little bit and not allow those big guys to get their hands on him, he's that much more talented because he's able to run around and use that speed and quickness that he has, and use it in a way that people can't handle.”
The 6-foot-4, 211-pound Bradley started only a handful of varsity games during his sophomore season as a thin, raw edge rusher. He barely weighed 200 pounds at the time.
But he was impressive enough to earn his first scholarship offer in February 2021 from Kansas State. And it didn’t take long for Iowa State, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Nebraska, Oklahoma and others to begin pursuing him.
Tennessee joined the race for him in February, and he now holds offers from more than 30 schools. South Carolina and Texas A&M hosted him on official visits last month. But the Gamecocks and Aggies weren’t able to overtake the Vols, who have made him a priority for months and impressed him when he traveled to Knoxville for the first time the weekend of May 28.
Bradley has improved his strength and added some weight this offseason, focusing much of his attention on working in the weight room. With his college decision behind him, he now simply needs “continued growth” across the board, Utz said, to get himself ready for the challenges that come with playing in the SEC.
“His pass rush is elite,” Utz said. “He has improved at the point of attack. His weight room has seen gains, and his leadership is doing well.”
