Tennessee wide receiver Blue McCoy. Photo by Rocky Top Insider/Rick Butler.
At Tennessee’s opening-week press conference in Knoxville on Monday morning, head coach Josh Hupel spoke for the first time about his reaction to transfer wide receiver Bull McCoy’s immediate qualification approval.
McCoy transferred from USC in January and moved to Tennessee in May, where he joined the team through summer and fall training camps. Despite the longer-than-expected process of qualifying for him, McCoy finally received that approval last week and can now proceed to Week 1 as normal.
“It’s definitely a small relief,” Huepel said of his reaction to McCoy’s entitlement late last week.
McCoy has been at Tennessee Field since day one of training camp. Although the injury limited him to a few days, Vols receiver coach Kelsey Pope said this month that McCoy was very effective with his mental rep and just watched other receivers execute schemes. He said that he was immersed in a considerable amount of knowledge in
But when he’s on the field, McCoy is locked in. The former USC player hasn’t played in a year and has really only had one season of COVID-shortened college experience, but McCoy is Recipients in Tennessee who still fit in nicely.
“I’m so excited for him,” Hupel said of McCoy on Monday. But now he has the opportunity to move forward into the future and compete with his teammates and brothers.”
“In the first part of practice, it was kind of a strain to strengthen him because he wasn’t quite 100 percent at the beginning of the summer,” Hupel said of McCoy. “He knows what we’re doing. He’s very efficient at what we’re doing offensively. For the first time ever, we’ve got the ball at our tempo.” For all of us who play on the attacking side of the I really understand what you’re doing, he’s been getting stronger physically, he’s been more fundamentally and technically sound in what we’re asking him to do. There have been many positives from going through this training camp.”
Tennessee Week 1: Tennessee Releases Depth Chart Before Season Opens
Bru McCoy is well integrated into Tennessee’s wide receiver room at this point, and has found friends, especially in Vols wideout Cedric Tillman. The returning Tennessee receiver says the former USC transfer is already one of his closest friends on the team, even though McCoy is only a few months away.
“I love Blue’s physicality,” Tillman said Monday. “He’s a big receiver like me. He’s not afraid to drop his shoulder. Very aggressive ball-pointing. You can brag about Bru and other receivers all day. But you know what?” , Bru is obviously one of my closest friends on the team, and I know he was here a few months ago, but we really connect.”
With both Tillman and McCoy listed at 6-foot-3, Tennessee could deal with two dangerous, oversized receivers on the outside this year. Especially considering McCoy could be the starter on Thursday.
Tennessee released its weekly depth chart Monday afternoon following a press conference on campus. His two definitive starting wide receivers, Jarin Hiatt and Cedric Tillman, have yet to be secured for the final spot. Now, Tennessee has either Blue in his McCoy or Walker in his Merrill as his receiver in his third starting Thursday night in Knoxville.
News about McCoy’s eligibility came out last week, so Tennessee is now moving forward with McCoy scheduled to participate in the Week 1 game this Thursday.
“If I had the chance to tell you [McCoy] And hear him say it was one of the great moments in my career. It’s special.”
Tennessee and Blue McCoy will play Ball State this Thursday at 7:00 PM ET at Neyland Stadium.
“Having the opportunity to speak to him and then being able to hear him speak to his father is one of the great moments in my career.”
Josh Heupel discusses his reaction to receiving news that Tennessee’s WR Bru McCoy will be ready for the season soon. pic.twitter.com/8ygwCPvT3F
— Rocky Top Insider (@rockytopinsider) August 29, 2022