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Josh Heupel says there's still no timeline on the return of Jermod McCoy

IMG_3593by: Grant Ramey3 hours agoGrantRamey
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© Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The timeline for return for Tennessee Football’s Jermod McCoy remains uncertain, according to head coach Josh Heupel. The junior corner has missed the first three games of the season and has been sidelined since tearing his ACL while training in January.

“I don’t know the timeline on Jermod,” Heupel said during his press conference on Monday. “And I say that meaning he’s gotten started, back out on the field, how his body responds and also being ready to go play and compete are all things that he’s got to continue to prepare for.”

McCoy returned to the practice field and took part in individual drills late in fall camp, working alongside Tennessee’s other defensive backs. Practices have been closed since the start of the regular season and it remains unclear how much work McCoy is currently getting in practice.

Tennessee down both starting corners due to injury

Tennessee also lost Rickey Gibson III, the starter at corner opposite of McCoy, to an arm injury suffered early in the 45-26 win over Syracuse on August 30. Gibson is out for what has been described only as an extended period of time.

No. 15 Tennessee (2-1) hosts UAB (2-1) on Saturday (12:45 p.m. Eastern Time, SEC Network), then go to Mississippi State next week in the first true road game of the season. The Vols are off on October 4, and are back home to host Arkansas on October 11, before back-to-back road games at Alabama and Kentucky.

McCoy and Gibson have been replaced at corner by Colton Hood, the Colorado transfer, and freshman Ty Redmond. Heupel said on Monday that the desire is there for McCoy to make his return.

“He wants to be out there,” Heupel said. “He’s been a great teammate. He’s done a really good job in his rehab, too, and so has our medical team. So it’s all about how we can get him prepared to actually go out there and play.”

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

McCoy is coming off a breakout season in his first year at Tennessee, finishing with 44 tackles, nine passes defended and four interceptions last season. He 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.

“The No. 1 concern surrounding him is his health,” The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote in August. “After starting all 13 games last season, McCoy suffered an ACL tear this past January while training at home. He underwent knee surgery and is reportedly rehabbing well, but when will he return to the field? And how does that affect his draft decision? A lot of unknowns.”

“Were he fully healthy,” Brugler also noted, “McCoy would have been CB1 in these preseason rankings, but the unknowns knock him down a spot (for now). With a complete recovery, he can be one of the better defensive prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft.”

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