Tennessee receiver Bru McCoy isn’t as good as he was last year. He’s better. And he’s not the only one.
You might have noticed a more lean McCoy when the Vols beat Chattanooga 69-3 on Saturday. The California native went from an already muscular physique to one that is a little more svelte. He’s currently listed at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds. The senior is still stout, but lowered his body fat percentage to be faster than he was in 2023.
“He’s got a step or two that I don’t think he had before,” receivers coach Kelsey Pope said. “He’s lost a ton of weight coming back from the injury, but it was just awesome to see him back and in rare form.”
McCoy, who is returning from a gruesome, season-ending leg injury, caught six passes for 89 yards against the Mocs. However, the Vols don’t have to lean on McCoy nearly as much this year as was anticipated before the 2023 season. The Vols clearly have more depth, as was evident by rotating receivers during the Chattanooga game, which rarely happened earlier in Tennessee coach Josh Heupel’s three seasons in Knoxville.
“We’ve got a liberty in that room that we’ve got a bunch of guys we trust…It’s been the first time we’ve really had that since we’ve been here,” Pope said. “So absolutely we want to continue to play more guys.”
In one game, Dont’e Thornton has gone from a potential transfer bust to a sleek, game-changing receiver. He’s attributed that to not putting as much pressure on himself and having faith in his game. It showed on Saturday as he led the Vols with 105 receiving yards, three catches and two touchdowns.
“He was just able to play fast,” Pope said. “…His biggest deal is just staying positive, regardless if it’s good or bad things happening. He’s done that this offseason and it’s led to him gaining a ton of confidence.”
Tennessee will face a veteran group of defensive backs when the Vols face N.C. State in Charlotte, N.C. on Saturday. The Wolfpack played on Thursday so they’ve had extra time to study Tennessee. Wolfpack coaches had to be somewhat surprised by this year’s version of the Vols. Tennessee had plenty of receivers to look at when the Vols played Chattanooga, including slot receivers Squirrel White and Chaz Nimrod. The two weren’t targeted often by Iamaleava, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t play well.
“Both of those guys played tremendous without the ball,” Pope said. We keep talking about the depth in the room. There’s a lot of things that comes with it that you’ve got to be able to handle. There are positives about that, but if there’s depth in the room, there’s also only one ball. So every day won’t be my day…They all still want the ball.
“They’re still receivers, but I think they truly love each other, man. It’s easy to go celebrate for a guy I really care about. Like when I know his family. I know what he’s been through. You know what I mean? It’s easy to go celebrate with a guy who I’ve been in the trenches with, I’ve sweated with, I’ve sacrificed with. It makes it really easy even if I want personal success.”
One of the Vols most talented receivers Chris Brazzell II caught five passes for 59 yards and nearly reeled in a touchdown before being ruled out of bounds. Pope was asked about Brazzell being the first UT player to show up on the field to warm up on Saturday over two hours before kickoff.
“He’s a gamer,” Pope said of the transfer from Tulane. “He’s one of the most competitive guys on the team. Right before kickoff, he’s screaming on the sideline. I was worried that something was wrong. It’s just that’s his demeanor. He’s in it. He’s engulfed, like he immerses himself in his game.
“Chris is one of those guys. He’s all or nothing. He’s going to do something 100-percent of the time full speed. And that’s why you see him out there that much. He loves the game, which gives him a shot to be really successful and really good at this game.”
He’s not the only one.
