Tennessee football: Could Tee Martin add Bru McCoy to Vols transfer class?
Tennessee football has a solid transfer class for 2020. Tee Martin gives the Volunteers a chance to add to it with Bru McCoy leaving the USC Trojans.
When Jeremy Pruitt hired Tee Martin onto his staff along with Jim Chaney, a big reason was Martin’s ability to recruit. Less than a month on the job, he already has the chance to prove himself for Tennessee football on that front.
Five-star wide receiver Bru McCoy had committed to the USC Trojans under the assumption that Kliff Kingsbury would be going there. But Kingsbury then went to the NFL, so McCoy is now deciding to transfer.
Two leading contenders, according to reports, are the Texas Longhorns and the Vols. Why Rocky Top? Well, apparently Martin was recruiting McCoy at USC. And now that he is likely going to be coaching receivers for Tennessee football, he has a direct connection to the 6’3″ 205-pound prospect from Santa Ana, Calif.
Should Martin be able to help Pruitt and Chaney snag McCoy, he’ll likely have to sit out for 2019. But if you’re looking at the state of the Vols’ program, that is perfectly fine. And it adds to the elite transfer class already coming in for 2020.
Pruitt has focused his recruiting on filling immediate personnel needs with quality talent rather than getting top classes ever since he took over. The idea is sound. If he can fill those holes, his team will eventually be good enough to make some decent noise. Then he can sell that to get more elite recruits. But Tennessee football is not in that state right now.
As a result, focusing his 2019 recruiting class on shoring up the offensive line is a smart move. The team has numerous starters coming back, so building depth there gives them a great chance to be solid this year. But what about 2020?
The Vols lose all of their top receivers after 2019, and they’re likely to lose nearly half their roster overall depending on what they’re starting lineup is. So recruiting to fill needs right now will make it hard to replace that talent. And that’s where the transfer route comes in.
Already, Pruitt has picked up a former five-star defensive tackle in Aubrey Solomon from the Michigan Wolverines and a former four-star defensive back in Deangelo Gibbs from the Georgia Bulldogs. Adding McCoy, a five-star in the 2019 class, would give him tons of breathing room for 2020.
With Jauan Jennings and Marquez Callaway both being seniors, McCoy would be able to step in immediately and compete for a starting job. His size gives him a unique chance to be a huge impact player.
In all likelihood, McCoy and the other two transfers will have to sit out this year. So Pruitt would be in perfect shape to fill holes immediately when players depart after 2019. It’s a smart, meticulous way to try to build a program that has been in disarray.
So let’s put Martin to the test. The Vols have a chance at a third splash transfer, and this would put them ahead of the curve for the future, which is what’s important anyway. Combine it with the chance to be moderately successful this year given the returning starters and the easy schedule, and Pruitt could be en route to stack the team for 2020. McCoy would add to a transfer class set to load up Rocky Top for the future.