Once again, Tennessee football is stuck waiting on an eligibility waiver from the NCAA for a transfer. Following Aubrey Solomon in 2019 and Cade Mays in 2020, USC Trojans transfer Bru McCoy is the one now waiting in limbo.
Josh Heupel said in his Friday press conference to wrap up fall camp that the Vols are still waiting on the wideout to be cleared to play less than two weeks before they play their first game. He joined the Vols back in May.
It’s a huge deal for Tennessee football because the Vols have a major void that McCoy could immediately fill, the No. 2 wideout spot opposite Cedric Tillman. However, if the NCAA doesn’t grant the waiver, there’s no excuse for Kelsey Pope and Heupel to still not fill that void.
Ramel Keyton needs to finally live up to his hype if that happen. Remember, Keyton was a highly touted four-star in the Vols’ 2019 class, and at the time, it seemed as if he and Harrison Bailey, the Marietta High School teammates, would be the future duo on Rocky Top.
Well, Bailey has since transferred, and Keyton still has yet to catch a touchdown pass at UT. He went from 104 yards in 2019 to 76 yards in 2020 to 72 yards in 2021. That all occurred despite the fact that there was wide open competition last year.
Losing out to Tillman is fair given what we’ve now seen Tillman can do, but Tillman was much lower-rated than Keyton on the trail. He was a two-star on Rivals. Still, he’s a year older, and he clearly was just overlooked by services.
Meanwhile, JaVonta Payton clearly proved he deserved the other wideout role last year, as he was deadly with the ball in his hands. Velus Jones Jr. and now Jalin Hyatt are rare talents in the slot, and Keyton is not meant to occupy that role.
However, there’s no reason for him to not be able to step up for Tennessee football if McCoy can’t go. Pope specializes specifically in wideouts, evidenced by the work he did with Tillman as an off-field staff member last year.
Taking that into account, while Walker Merrill is more Payton’s profile as a receiver, a guy who could play in the slot or at wideout, Pope now coaching the receivers makes it more likely that Keyton or McCoy gets the nod. Keyton should be able to win it.
If he is able to live up to the hype that came with him as a freshman, Heupel and Alex Golesh could be really creative with him in the offense. This year is the chance for him to do it, as he’s got the quarterback, he’s got help on the other side, and he’s got the opening.
Everybody may be upset about the NCAA not yet ruling on McCoy, but honestly, there’s a valid reason to block his waiver. It also means Tennessee football will have him eligible for two more years after this season. As long as Keyton can step up, that could make the ruling a benefit.