How Tennessee football is approaching Bru McCoy amid eligibility uncertainty Bru McCoy transferred from Southern Cal to Tennessee in June after entering the transfer portal in January. He didn't want to tell anyone about it. However, the university continued its investigation and McCoy never returned to the program. There were 2,646 FBS players to enter the transfer portal during the 2020-21 transfer cycle, per a source. Merrill's exit also means that nine of Tennessees 10 highest-rated signees in the 2021 class, the last under fired coach Jeremy Pruitt, will no longer be on the team. He was on FaceTime. He wants to go into real estate after his career is over. If you drop a pass, catch a pass, it doesn't matter. The way I saw it is, theres an opportunity, said McCoy, who was ranked the No. During the 2020 season, he recorded 21 catches for 236 yards and two touchdowns. Genuinely happy. "Bru! College Football HQ rated McCoy as the No. So he didn't talk about it, remembering something his grandfather, Horace McCoy Sr., told him often, starting back when he was in ninth grade. Photo via @BruMcCoy on Instagram. On the ride home, Horace looked back in the rearview mirror and caught Bru smiling wide: "Bet you won't call him Touchdown Tommy anymore. Early life and high school career. One of the top players left in the college football transfer portal has announced his new destination as wide receiver Bru McCoy said he will leave USC and play at Tennessee this season.. "Everybody has an opinion, and there was no being right.". A body that didn't go where they wanted it to. He was still trying to figure it out. OK, there's still a weight room. Bru finished the call and explained to his mom that he DM'd the guy after reading his negative comment. One of the hardest parts was facing himself. "I'm 19," Bru said. Bru McCoy, Tennessee. (0:30). It truly goes back to when Mark Richt was the coach, but it hasn't stopped with Kirby Smart's reign. Ryan Kartje is the USC beat writer at the Los Angeles Times. Outstanding pass rusher who combines an explosive first step to get the edge with the power to bull rush a tackle or change direction and flashes a quick move to the inside. They saw his competitiveness. 9 recruit in the 247 Composite rankings, was a highly sought-after edge rusher and wide receiver at Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei High. "For me to return to USC was probably one of the most difficult and decisive decisions I have made in my entire lifeand probably the best one," he says. Many assumed his life was easy. But he said he needed to see Tennessee for himself to verify what he had heard about the program, and he didnt come away disappointed. He just wanted to play, to shut everyone up about the transfers. It appears Tennessee football will finish preseason practice with Southern Cal transfer wide receiver Bru McCoy still not eligible. Clay Helton helped him turn a corner, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, Review: A reimagined Secret Garden fails to flower anew at the Ahmanson Theatre, A $150,000 executive protection dog? The boy didn't even get a yard. The wide receiver didn't play for the Trojans a year ago, but did appear in six games during the 2020 season. That he is not a was. So while most of the sport's high-profile transfers have already committed, here is a look at the top 10 uncommitted transfers following Sunday's portal deadline. "He literally had no life. During the 2021 season and the following off-season, the Tennessee football team lost 18 players to the transfer portal. ], I want to thank God, my coaches and Vol Nation for a great two years in Knoxville, Merrill posted on Twitter. Can the Lions fix their defense? But in 2020, as he returned to full health, McCoy carved out a minor role in USCs passing attack, amassing 21 catches for 236 yards and two touchdowns. He appeared in six games for USC in 2020, totaling 21 receptions, 236. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. His official visit to Tennessee in late March allowed him to attend at least a portion of two of the Vols spring practices and spend plenty of time with Heupels staff, including first-yearwide receivers coach Kelsey Pope. Players were trying to rattle him then, get inside his head. As a redshirt freshman in 2020, McCoy caught 21 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns in six games. 'Am I OK with who I am?' He thought attending Mater Dei, instead of going to neighborhood Palos Verdes High School, was the best option to achieve his college football dreams. "People dehumanized me," says Bru, now back at USC and planning to play for the Trojans as a redshirt freshman whenever college football resumes. USC wide receiver Bru McCoy runs the ball during the 2020 Pac-12 championship game against Oregon. Since, Bru McCoy has wholeheartedly disavowed the allegations. "He had no fear," Horace says. Genuinely good. "It's no excuse, but I was 18. ", He told his parents at the wedding he wanted to go to Texas. The book talks about being present. He shattered his ankle in sixth grade, and when Alexa ran out to the P.E. They found him. USC third-year wide receiver Bru McCoy entered the transfer portal Thursday, 247Sports has learned. ", "I have to act. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound McCoy transferred to Tennessee from USC. Matt Zenitz of On3 Sports was the first to report. USC wide receiver Bru McCoy runs the ball during the 2020 Pac-12 championship game against Oregon. He missed his entire true freshman campaign with an illness before making his debut in a COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign. He was ready to play again. Bru thought of all the moments his mom would drag him out of his bed at sunrise, how she'd watch the sun come up; or how his dad would respond, "Because I told you so!" It didnt take long for Bru McCoy to set his sights on Tennessee after he added his name to the NCAA transfer portal in January. Warmer storms could cause problems, DA declines to file charges against USC receiver Bru McCoy, one of the top prospects to come out of Southern California, Illness and a Texas detour left Bru McCoy hurting. Like any 18-year-old, he couldn't have come to these realizations until he experienced them. "I wasn't running from adversity. When he bikes, alone with his thoughts and the hills, he realizes he has gained something this past year so much more valuable than any game or accolade: He knows who he is now. To strangers. But others were not as understanding. Hounded him. Tennessee finished Heupel's second season ranked sixth by The Associated Press college football poll, the Vols' highest finish since 2001. "Getting upset doesn't get you to where you want to be," Horace Sr. continued. NFL draft questions for teams in the top 10: Will the Colts trade up? There were aunts, uncles and his grandfathers, Horace Sr. and Tom Snyder, the latter of whom had to force little Bru inside to eat when all he wanted to do at age eight was dunk on a 4-foot rim ("He was always looking for his next challenge," Snyder says). - Father Horace played football at Northern Illinois - Mother Shelby was All-American volleyball player at Northern Illinois. ", "Just be the quiet in the storm," he said, smiling. The 2021 season was projected to be a big one for McCoy in the Trojans offense. #4 Pos: WR Ht: 6026 Wt: 220 40: 4.67 DOB: 6/22/2000 Hometown: Palos Verdes, CA High School: Mater Dei Eligibility: 2023. McCoy has re-entered the transfer portal, opening the door for what would be a shocking return to Southern California, according to Greg Biggins of 247 Sports. McCoy has had a turbulent ride beyond those transfers at USC. Then he started losing weight and couldn't sleep much. Bru thought, trying to make sense of the word. Where he plays in college will be interesting as he prefers receiver but might have more upside as a 3-4 outside backer. McCoy, who attended Santa Ana Mater Dei High, was viewed as one of the top prospects to come out of Southern California in recent memory when he committed to USC in January 2019. All this misery, the back-and-forth. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. In Tennessee's 31-14 win over Clemson in the Orange Bowl, Bru McCoy, Squirrel White and Ramel Keyton started. The former five-star receiver was expected to step into a major role on USCs offense in 2021 but never took the field following a July 24 arrest on suspicion of felony intimate partner violence. McClain ultimately transferred to Utah; his brother and another former USC football player, Abdul-Malik McClain, was later charged in the scheme. I would have done the same thing, truthfully. McCoy said he informed the Vols of his decision in late March before the end of his official visit toKnoxville. Bru handed her his phone. They care about their players. His family didn't understand at first. He's passionate about social justice, world issues and travel. Potential early impact player at BCS level and high round NFL draft pick.". Mirin Fader is a staff writer for B/R Mag. They've all come to realize something: The people who comment are just people too. Big, strong and physical as a wideout with good hands and high-level body control. He never really wanted fame. Just down. Plays the run very well and is comfortable in space or dropping back in to coverage. ATLANTA Southern Cal transfer wide receiver Bru McCoy is not yet eligible to play for Tennessee this season, Vols coach Josh Heupel said at SEC Media Days on Thursday. 236 Receiving Yards, 21 Receptions, 2 Touchdowns (6 game short season). "It was a huge load," says Arthur Aragon, his counselor at Mater Dei. And I think he found that joy of playing the game, being around the guys and finding himself.". "Uhhi" she said. The district attorney in Los Angeles County declined to file charges in August, and USCs Title IX office dismissed the case in February. 'Quietness?' Let's also not forget that one of Georgia's QBs, JT Daniels, is a former teammate of McCoy's at both Mater Dei High School and USC. Among the 14 were star-crossed wide receivers Bru McCoy and Jake Smith, both of whom transferred out, running backs Kenyatta Watson II and Derrian Brown, and linebacker De'Gabriel Floyd, whose career was hampered by injury. I'm not trying to imply that Smart is some bad guy or anything like that, but it's true that Georgia has not had the cleanest record when it comes to signing players with off-the-field questions. McCoy, an ESPN top-30 recruit in 2019, entered the transfer portal in January, committed to Tennessee in May and has been practicing with the team as he awaits an eligibility decision from the NCAA. His breakout appeared imminent until his July arrest threw his future with USC into serious doubt. So he bikes. "Arrogant 18-year-old me thought, 'I'll just go to Texas. I don't fault [Kingsbury] one bit. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. 21 catches for 236 yards and two touchdowns across six games. They supported him, stepped aside. 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