Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel said “it’s not fair for me” to say whether All-America cornerback Jermod McCoy will play for the Vols in the 2025 season after rehabbing a torn ACL.
Time is running out. UT has only three games remaining in the regular season, and it’s already out of the College Football Playoff picture.
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“Jermod is continuing his rehab. He’s doing more on the football side of it. We are continuing to see where he progresses to,” Heupel said on Nov. 5, during the Vols’ off week.
When asked if McCoy will play UT this season, Heupel didn’t have a definitive answer.
“I don’t think it’s fair for me to put a timeline on it,” Heupel said. “He had a real injury that he’s been working hard to get back from. He continues to make progress. (He is) a great teammate in the way he’s tried to get himself back.”
No. 22 Tennessee (6-3, 3-3 SEC) plays New Mexico State (3-5) on Nov. 15 (4:15 p.m. ET, SEC Network) at Neyland Stadium. The Vols will finish the regular season at Florida (Nov. 22) and at home against No. 16 Vanderbilt (Nov. 29) before getting a bowl bid.
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McCoy was a 2024 All-America selection, and he’s projected as a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. But he’s been sidelined since tearing his ACL during an offseason training session in January.
Colton Hood hopes to play one game with Jermod McCoy
McCoy has been rehabbing his knee in hopes of returning this season, and the Vols need him. They lost Rickey Gibson, the other starting cornerback, to an upper-body injury in a Week 1 win over Syracuse, and his injury is likely season-ending.
In their absence, Colorado transfer Colton Hood and freshman Ty Redmond have started at the cornerback spots, and veteran walk-on William Wright has been in the rotation.
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Hood is having an All-SEC caliber season. Just like McCoy a year ago, Hood is a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the best defensive back in college football. And he’s also appeared in NFL mock draft as an early-round pick.
But Hood hasn’t played a single snap with McCoy.
“(McCoy) has handled (rehab) really good, probably a lot better than I would have,” Hood said. “I’m hoping for at least one game to get out there next him and make some plays.”
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Jermod McCoy injury update on Tennessee football cornerback, NFL Draft prospect
