Tennessee football's defense took a big step forward in 2024. The defensive secondary stepped up compared to previous years and Jermod McCoy is a big reason for that.
McCoy is coming off the best season of his career. He finished the year with 26 tackles and four interceptions, establishing himself as the best player in Tennessee's secondary.
That's why ESPN's Chris Low named McCoy to ESPN's 2025 way-too-early college football All-America team.
"Tennessee struck it rich in the transfer portal when it brought in McCoy from Oregon State last season," Low writes. "He was an instant difference-maker for the Vols, who finished seventh nationally in scoring defense (16.1 points per game) and allowed just 11 touchdown passes in 13 games.
"McCoy tied for the team lead with four interceptions. The only question is how quickly he will recover after having surgery in January for a torn ACL suffered while training at home."
McCoy joins Notre Dame corner Leonard Moore, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, and Michigan safety Rod Moore on the All-American list in the secondary.
While he is the best player in Tennessee's secondary, it's hard to guess how much of an impact he will have throughout the 2025 season after suffering a torn ACL in January.
Tennessee's secondary is vastly improved from a couple of seasons ago, so the Vols should be able to survive without McCoy. However, it's not ideal to have a potential All-American player sidelined due to injury.
The Vols open the season in Atlanta against the Syracuse Orange in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff. The Vols will have an opportunity to open the season with a win against a strong P4 opponent before an early-season Georgia matchup.