McCoy spent the spring semester at Texas before returning back to USC. He heard good things about the Vols from a couple of his former Southern Cal teammates who have transferred to play at Tennessee, wide receiverVelus Jones Jr. and kickerChase McGrath, and the Vols were searching for a receiver capable of making an immediate impact on their offense. The former five-star receiver was expected to step into a major role on USCs offense in 2021 but never took the field following a July 24 arrest on suspicion of felony intimate partner violence. USC meant everything to him. And his parents couldn't defend him from the vitriol. Munir McClain, a former Trojans wideout, was held out of the shortened 2020 season amid a federal probe into unemployment benefits fraud. This is his third time entering the portal; leaving USC originally in 2019 due to Kliff Kingsbury leaving the Trojans, and then transferring right back a few months later due to homesickness. "There are some things that are out of my control and Bru . Somebody's brother. After reading, he closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and a voice pops into his head. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound McCoy is setto officially join the Vols this month to attend May mini-session classes, giving them a veteran wide receiver capable of helping them replace former starters Jonesand JaVonta Payton. McCoy committed to the Trojans in January 2019. As much as they want you to be a great player and productive, they want you to be a great man. I put adversity in front of myself and ran right into it by double transferring.". Signing to USC was one of the best days of his life. He had to learn and rethink and recalculate and mess up and grow in front of hundreds and thousands of people. The Ole Bru McCoy special. Runs well enough to get behind a defense, makes the tough catch look routine and can do something with the ball in his hands after the catch as well. See who he is without football. Its time to go to work, though.. It took a one-on-one meeting with USC coach Clay Helton to help McCoy turn a corner. McCoy, 21, did not play a snap at USC this season after he was arrested in July on suspicion of violating California Penal Code Section 273.5(a), which covers domestic violence toward a spouse or other cohabitant. McCoy, who ranks as the No. ", He had put so much emphasis on one coach's departure. "I'm 19," Bru said. "Haters are really just haters on social media, but they're really fans that don't want to say they're fans. His official visit to Tennessee in late March allowed him to attend at least a portion of two of the Vols spring practices and spend plenty of time with Heupels staff, including first-yearwide receivers coach Kelsey Pope. Then he began sweating uncontrollably. He trusts himself. "Hindsight is always 20/20," he repeats, but he knows he can't go back. McCoy dealt with some off-field issues and elected to transfer away from USC as it underwent a coaching change this offseason. He likes to read books, like the one currently on his nightstand next to his bed: The Mindful Athlete by George Mumford. "No way! 5 his entire career. More hills, more miles. Can the Lions fix their defense? On May 3, his saga seemingly came to an end, when . The 6-foot-3, 220-pound McCoy transferred to Tennessee from USC. Right now, there's a lot of uncertainty with McCoy's off-the-field situation. However, shortly afterward that January he decided to leave USC for Texas. Uiagalelei. Bru McCoy wont face criminal charges following an allegation of intimate partner violence, but USCs Title IX office is still reviewing the incident and its unclear whether he will be reinstated on the football team. There was Alexa, who loved being the water girl at his Pop Warner gameshanding out Gatorade bottles to all the playersand would cry when he lost. Am I the man I hope to be? The district attorneys office declined to file charges against McCoy last August, citing insufficient evidence. But USC continued to investigate, and McCoy ultimately never returned to the football field. But his departure via the NCAA transfer portal should bring the receivers saga at USC to a close after three disappointing years and only six total games. And he yearns to compete, to prove to those people who don't trust him and haven't forgiven him that he is still the player he was. Merrill, a sophomore and former Brentwood standout, was a productive backup with eight catches for 116 yards and three touchdowns this season. McCoy had an interesting road to USC as a recruit. Players do not need to ask permission from their coaching staff in order to transfer. Texas fans learned quickly how much of a headache this . "At no point since Bru entered the transfer portal in January have we objected to him being made immediately eligible to play at Tennessee. He was just a body to them. In Tennessee's 31-14 win over Clemson in the Orange Bowl, Bru McCoy, Squirrel White and Ramel Keyton started. Reply . "He was in eighth grade, and he was a Division I player to me," says Darryl Lance Johnson, who has coached dozens of Division I players in his 40-year career and coached Bru throughout his childhood. Where he plays in college will be interesting as he prefers receiver but might have more upside as a 3-4 outside backer. To 45-year-old men on Twitter he'd never met in states he'd never visited. The receiver officially entered the transfer portal on Thursday night, seeking a new start to his college. McCoy, an ESPN top-30 recruit in 2019, entered the transfer portal in January, committed to Tennessee in May and has been practicing with the team as he awaits an eligibility decision from the NCAA. 9 recruit in the 247 Composite rankings, was a highly sought-after edge rusher and wide receiver at Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei High. when he'd walk by. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound McCoy is setto officially join the Vols this month to attend May mini-session classes, giving them a veteran wide receiver capable of helping them replace former starters Jonesand, McCoy, who has three remaining seasons of eligibility, said he chose Tennessee because of itsdevelopment at wide receiver and his opportunity to make an immediate impactin coach, His official visit to Tennessee in late March allowed him to attend at least a portion of two of the Vols spring practices and spend plenty of time with Heupels staff, including first-yearwide receivers coach, During the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, McCoy caught 21 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns in six games while playing in a USC receiving corps that included a 2021 fourth-round NFL draft pick in, The Vols havent made any promises to McCoy, he said, about the role he might play once he arrives at Tennessee later this spring. "I was just sitting there, thinking, this string of events is just too eerie, [like it's] screaming: 'Get out! It bothered all of them that people said he ran from competitionnot only because Bru was arguably the best receiver at Texas, but also because he was leaving for USC, a place known for producing top-tier receivers. "They're genuinely invested in their players and their players' success on and off the. Then there was speculation that coach Clay Helton could be fired. he'd ask himself. "It's a familiar situation: I gotta prove myself." Time to process. Theyre genuinely invested in their players and their players success on and off the field, said McCoy, a four-star transfer prospect whos ranked by 247Sports as the No. Once, as a 10-year-old, Bru was so ticked off that everyone in Palos Verdes called this kid on an opposing team "Touchdown Tommy" that he vowed to not let him score when they faced off. Whilethe Los Angeles district attorney declined to press charges. However, he did not tally a single catch in 2021. Clay Helton helped him turn a corner, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, Review: A reimagined Secret Garden fails to flower anew at the Ahmanson Theatre, A $150,000 executive protection dog? But Bru's were not just his. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. He'd watch Bush highlights before his Pop Warner games. "I wasn't running from adversity. I don't fault [Kingsbury] one bit. When Bru told his parents he wanted to go back to USC, he was sure of his decision. He joined The Times after six years with the Southern California News Group. OK, there's still a weight room. The next he was taking his physical on campus. Honestly, the thing that was wrong with Texas was that it wasn't USC. McCoy has had a less than stellar path to Tennessee . BREAKING: Southern Cal WR transfer Bru McCoy has committed to the #Vols, giving #Tennessee a former five-star prospect at a position of need. ", He takes a breath. High school games. USC wide receiver Bru McCoy runs the ball during the 2020 Pac-12 championship game against Oregon. Am I happy? Time, distance, perspective, made him feel like two different people. They want you to treat the people around you well, but they also want you to flourish on the field, and theyre going to push you in an uplifting way, but theyre going to push you and get as much as they can out of you. Somebody who had worked his entire life to play college football. He had been loved, then hated. Bruce Rollinson, Mater Dei's coach, would notice how Bru straightened his arms when he'd make a mistake, could see the frustration rising in him. Big, strong and physical as a wideout with good hands and high-level body control. Ryan Kartje (@Ryan_Kartje) January 14, 2022. As a redshirt freshman in 2020, McCoy caught 21 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns in six games. Outstanding pass rusher who combines an explosive first step to get the edge with the power to bull rush a tackle or change direction and flashes a quick move to the inside. Someone like me, I think I will thrive here. On the ride home, Horace looked back in the rearview mirror and caught Bru smiling wide: "Bet you won't call him Touchdown Tommy anymore. He wants to go into real estate after his career is over. Mirin Fader is a staff writer for B/R Mag. That what I put myself through wasn't for nothing.". He's already explained himself to two programs, to his family, to his friends. They found him. No matter how much the family tried not to talk about football, it was there. This past year, he's had to look through himself. Three trades in a chaotic top five, The new law changing service academy football, and the coaches pushing back, Realignment chatter: How the Pac-12 holds the key to it all. Bru McCoy NCAA Pos WR Height 6-3 Weight 220 Evaluation Timeline Prospect Info High School Mater Dei City Santa Ana, CA Exp 2022 - . During his high school career he passed for 6,027 yards with 55 touchdowns and rushed for 2,975 yards and 48 touchdowns. Bru thought of all the moments his mom would drag him out of his bed at sunrise, how she'd watch the sun come up; or how his dad would respond, "Because I told you so!" So he bikes. Its an unbelievable staff, McCoy told GoVols247 before publicly revealing his decision. Until he had put himself into a different environment, like so many other students who attend a school and change their mind and transfer. McCoy came away convinced that he would thrive in Heupel's system and enjoy playing for Tennessee's coaches. Bru went with his gut, entering the transfer portal in late January 2019, but things didn't feel normal when he arrived at Texas. They saw his competitiveness. Shelby McCoy remembers being stopped at the supermarket. Bru thought it was silly, bragging about 35 offers when there were hardworking kids who had none.