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Josh Heupel on Jermod McCoy's return from ACL injury: 'No timetable on him'

IMG_3593by: Grant Ramey07/30/25GrantRamey
Tennessee defensive back Jermod McCoy (3) warms up during a Tennessee football practice, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024.
Tennessee defensive back Jermod McCoy (3) warms up during a Tennessee football practice, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024.

Jermod McCoy keeps checking boxes during his recovery from the torn ACL suffered during offseason workouts in January. But that doesn’t mean Tennessee Football’s breakout star at cornerback last season has an official date for his return or a specific timeline for the end of the rehab process.

“No timetable on him,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said Tuesday during his media day press conference, one day before the Vols start fall camp. “There are benchmark things that he’s got to accomplish within our training room to move on to the next phase of it.”

And those accomplishments are continuing as they should, according to the head coach.

“He’s handled it really well from the very beginning,” Heupel said. “Just his mindset and how he’s approached every single day. He’s done a really good job throughout the course of the summer. Periodically you see his drills, movement, explosive-type drills that he’s doing, change based on his rehab protocol.

Season Opener: Tennessee vs. Syracuse, August 30, Mercedes-Benz Stadium

“He’s handled it extremely well. As we go through training camp, there’ll be a progression. How his body responds to some of those things will kind of dictate the time period of when he’s available for us.” 

Tennessee opens the season August 30 against Syracuse in the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Vols host ETSU in their home opener at Neyalnd Stadium on September 6 and start SEC play at home against Georgia on September 13.

Heupel on Tuesday was repeating what he said at SEC Media Days in Atlanta two weeks earlier.

“I think with the injury and his rehab process, it’s how he encounters the next phase,” Heupel said at the time, “and next stage as he continues to prepare himself and get ready to play. 

“I saw him the other day as he’s going through his rehab. He looks really good, his movement skills are good. It’s a progression throughout the course of the end of the summer and through training camp. And we’ll figure that out as we get into the season.”

Jermod McCoy projected to be a first-round pick in 2026 NFL Draft

McCoy, coming off a breakout season in his first year at Tennessee, finishing with 44 tackles, nine passes defended and four interceptions last season, is widely projected to be a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, as one of the top defensive backs, if not the top corner, available.

He is the biggest piece in a Tennessee defense that finished No. 7 nationally and No. 2 in the SEC in scoring defense last season, carrying the Vols to the 12-team College Football Playoff in December. 

“Obviously we want him,” Heupel said at SEC Media Days, “he’s a huge part of us defensively, but his short term and long term health (is part of it) as well.”

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