Tennessee receiver Bru McCoy has spent the entirety of spring practice on the sidelines with a brace on his left hand and wrist. While the 2022 breakout star’s injury has kept him from being an active participant on the field it has opened up an opportunity for him on the sidelines.
“The opportunity it gave me off the field to mentally learn more and be more supportive of my teammates with a younger room now where I can help them take steps that I had to take when I first got here,” McCoy said Tuesday. I found the silver linings in it and I’ve enjoyed this time.”
A year ago, McCoy hadn’t even committed to Tennessee out of the transfer portal let alone started practicing and learning Josh Heupel’s offense in Knoxville.
Once McCoy arrived in Knoxville and began going through fall practice, the Southern Cal transfer was trying to keep his head above water while learning an offense that “broke a lot of rules that I had kind of been beaten over the head with.”
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With Cedric Tillman and Jalin Hyatt off to the NFL, McCoy is now the elder statesman and one of the leaders in Tennessee’s receiver room. On the sidelines he’s helping teach the Vols’ young receivers the offense he understands “night-and-day” better than he did when he first arrived in Knoxville.
“By nature, I’m the type of person who likes to take care of people and look out,” McCoy said. “(This spring) was a great opportunity to keep my mind sharp by being able to teach them and help them work on the little things and details in the offense, but also it’s fun to watch people grow, develop and see them improve. It’s also all mental reps for me.”
There are plenty of young and new receivers in Tennessee’s offense this season. The Vols added Nathan Leacock from the prep ranks and Dont’e Thornton from the transfer portal this offseason to go along with sophomores Squirrel White and Chas Nimrod who are vying for larger roles this fall.
Tennessee’s only veteran receivers are McCoy and Ramel Keyton with both looking to be leaders and productive pass catchers this fall.
McCoy is Tennessee’s leading receiver, catching 52 passes for 667 yards and four touchdowns his first season in Knoxville. As for his injury, McCoy shared that he was meeting with a doctor later Tuesday night and was getting close to returning to the field.
Until then, McCoy is proving his worth as a sidelines leader helping the Vols’ young receiving core this spring.
