Josh Heupel provides an update on Bru McCoy.
One of the most horrific injuries you’ll ever witness on a football field occurred around eight months ago. One of the program’s leaders and Tennessee’s potent wide receiver, Bru McCoy, suffered a terrible injury to his lower leg. Its impact and severity were immediate, and McCoy faced a protracted rehabilitation process.
The 6-3, 220 pound receiver’s choice to enter the NFL may have been influenced by the injury as he was clearly unable to perform much physically. Rather, McCoy decided to return in 2024 by using his COVID year of eligibility. That gives Tennessee a significant experienced boost and offers him another opportunity to show NFL teams what he can do after his 2023 season was cut short. At this week’s Big Orange Caravan event, Josh Heupel commented on McCoy’s rehabilitation, saying it has “been really exciting to see just his growth.” “He looks really natural, and I had our strength staff record him the other day while he was sprinting in the indoor.” It is a fluid gait. The speed is improving remarkably. Just man, I’m so happy for him. With his injury, there’s a large forest that you have to navigate, and he’s had to do this several times for various causes. Seeing him emerge from the forest is entertaining, and I’m quite happy for Bru. In the 2022 season, McCoy caught 52 catches for 667 yards and four touchdowns. Before sustaining the injury last year, he grabbed 17 catches for 217 yards. With the intention of making things a little bit simpler for the sophomore quarterback and first-time starter, McCoy will now assist in bringing in the era of Nico Iamaleava.
McCoy, a former five-star prospect, had a convoluted journey to Knoxville. In 2019, McCoy underwent a remarkable recruitment saga, alternating between transfers to Texas and USC. In the end, he spent three seasons as a Trojan before settling down at Tennessee. Heupel employs McCoy as a power player, someone who can make difficult catches in traffic over the middle, someone who can chase after the catch guy on screens, and a leader blocker on the perimeter for those screens. In crucial situations, he has also made impressive catches down the field; none was greater than the one he made in 2022 against Alabama to set up the game-winning field goal.
Tennessee missed him in a big way last season down the stretch. Adding him back into the equation will be big for the offense as a whole, especially as the Vols’ transition to a young quarterback.
“He should be ready,” Heupel said. “He’s in a position to have an elite summer and be ready to roll.”
