Tennessee football: Adding USC transfer WR Bru McCoy gives Vols best passing game in SEC

Josh Heupel did it again! Tennessee football just added a huge transfer to bolster its passing attack, one that should not completely offset the losses of Velus Jones Jr. and JaVonta Payton while also giving the Vols the best passing offense in the SEC.

Bru McCoy of the USC Trojans, once a five-star on Rivals and 247Sports out of California in the 2019 class, has transferred to Rocky Top. He follows Jones, who transferred from USC after 2019, and current place-kicker Chase McGrath, who was McCoy’s teammate at USC in 2020.

Standing at 6’3″ 220 pounds, McCoy didn’t play last year due to a legal issue that has since been resolved. In 2020, he caught 21 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns in six games. He announced his commitment to Tennessee football Tuesday night on Twitter.

Make no mistake, McCoy showed as a freshman just how elite his potential is. Despite missing a year, it’s not like he’s coming off an injury. He should be set to step in and shine for the Vols. In the process, UT’s passing attack should dominate.

It’s likely McCoy immediately wins the starting job opposite Cedric Tillman. Those two wideouts together will provide a huge size advantage that the Vols didn’t have last year. Payton, for as great as he was with the ball in his hands, doesn’t have McCoy’s potential given his size.

Meanwhile, replacing Jones may still be a bit difficult in the slot, but McCoy’s arrival allows Jalin Hyatt to fully compete there along with Jimmy Calloway and quite a few other receivers who are committed. One of them is bound to fill that void.

Anyway, the outside is where Tennessee football has the advantage. As a mobile quarterback, Hendon Hooker needs big targets he can find on the run. He already had that with Tillman, but now he has it with McCoy on the other side.

Maybe this is jumping the gun, as there is a collection of freshman receivers, three of whom can play wideout, along with returning guys like Ramel Keyton. However, all signs point to McCoy making an immediate impact.

In the process, the Vols should dominate through the air. Now, they have a mobile quarterback, and Heupel runs to set up the pass despite his tempo, but that shouldn’t matter here. The pass is likely to always be successful with these two elite targets on either side.

A graduate of Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Calif., McCoy initially committed to the Texas Longhorns after decommitting from USC. However, in May of 2019, nearly four months after signing with Texas, he transferred to USC.

There was a medical issue that resulted in him redshirting in 2019 before playing in 2020. McCoy hails from Palos Verdes Estates, Calif., which is in Los Angeles County, despite having gone to school in Orange County.

Beyond this year, though, McCoy adds even more competition to an already-loaded group of receivers going forward. He’s officially got three years of eligibility left. Of course, if he produces the way we expect for Tennessee football, he won’t use all of those years, but even playing just this year will be huge.