Josh Heupel reports the status of Bru McCoy.
Sounds like everything is going fine.
About eight months ago, we witnessed one of the most horrific injuries ever seen on a football pitch. Bru McCoy, Tennessee’s big wide receiver and one of the program’s leaders, suffered a severe lower leg injury. The impact and severity were immediate, and McCoy faced a lengthy rehabilitation procedure.
The injuries may have influenced McCoy’s NFL choice, as the 6-3, 220 pound receiver was clearly unable to do much physically. McCoy chose to use his COVID year of eligibility to return in 2024.
That’s a big veteran boost for Tennessee, and it gives him another shot to prove himself to NFL teams after his 2023 season was cut short.
“Been really exciting to see just his growth,” Josh Heupel said of McCoy’s recuperation during a Big Orange Caravan event this week. “I had our strength staff record him running indoors the other day, and he looked really natural. The gait is fluid. The speed is significantly improving. Man, I’m really excited for him. With his injury, he has had to navigate a large forest, and he has had to do so several times for various reasons. It’s great to see him emerge from the other side of the forest, and I’m quite excited for Bru.”
Throughout the 2022 season, McCoy caught 52 catches for 667 yards and four touchdowns. He caught 17 catches for 217 yards before suffering the injury last year. McCoy will now assist usher in the Nico Iamaleava era, hoping to make things a little easier for the sophomore quarterback and first-time starter.
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McCoy, a former five-star recruit, had a rocky route to Knoxville. In 2019, McCoy flip-flopped and transferred back and forth between Texas and USC, resulting in a recruitment drama to remember. He spent three seasons as a Trojan before finding a genuine home at Tennessee.
Heupel employs McCoy as a power player, a run after the catch man on screens, a leading blocker on the perimeter for those screens, and a guy who can make tough receptions over the middle in traffic. He’s also made significant catches down the field in crucial situations, none more so than his catch versus Alabama in 2022, which set up the game-winning field goal.
Tennessee missed him a lot last season, especially down the stretch. Bringing him back into the mix will benefit the offence as a whole, especially as the Vols move to a young quarterback.
“He should be ready,” Heupel remarked. “He’s in a position to have an elite summer and be ready to roll.”