Bru McCoy provides injury update, describes relationship with Nico Iamaleava

Bru McCoy did not participate in Tennessee‘s spring game on Saturday as he continues to recover from the ankle injury that kept him out for the majority of the 2023 season.

He was on the sidelines, however, where he provided Vol Nation with a self-update on his recovery process, calling it an everyday process. While tedious, he’s enjoying being able to see him progress from his surgery in September to now.

McCoy has been forced to focus on other aspects of football in the time being, including stepping up as a veteran presence in the Tennessee locker room.

“It was tough at first and then you realize like, this is what you as a leader have to do to push them,” McCoy said during the spring game broadcast. “This is why you were pushing them. So that if you go down, you can’t be there. You can’t be out on the field, but you’ve pushed them enough in the offseason that they can go out and handle business.”

McCoy believes the Tennessee wide receiver corps has put in the work necessary and expects that to translate to the field on Saturdays this fall.

“The success is imminent,” McCoy told Vol Nation.

For McCoy personally, he has a massive chip on his shoulder coming into the season. He wants to prove to himself that he’s still the same player, if not better than he was before. In the same breath, McCoy is excited to have a quarterback like Nico Iamaleava throwing the ball to him this fall. It might make his job a little bit easier.

“I mean he’s like a receiver’s dream,” McCoy said. “He’s an accurate passer, he can extend plays. He’s great on his feet, and he’s smart. He’s a ballplayer so when you’re looking at what you’ve got in front of you, there’s not a better quarterback. And then he’s just a great dude and a great teammate.”

Iamaleava showcased his passing skills during Saturday’s spring game, completing his first seven of his passes for 93 yards and a touchdown during his time on the field. He capped the first half of action for his squad with a 27-yard strike to Chas Nimrod in the end zone.

McCoy will be looking to build chemistry with Iamaleava as McCoy continues to work his way back on the field in a full-time role during the summer. More than likely, he’ll be one of Iamaleava’s favorite targets this season.