Who could understand after all he had overcome, he was faced with this? The former five-star recruit has been in Los Angeles at USC for the last three years but decided to enter the transfer portal in January. He performed well on the field during spring practice, made friends and really liked the coaching staff. McCoy came away convinced that he would thrive in Heupels system and enjoy playing for Tennessees coaches. Shelby woke him up every day at 5 a.m., making him egg-and-cheese burritos or bacon-and-egg bagel sandwiches, and he'd be out of the door by 5:45 a.m., in time to lift weights in Orange County by 7 a.m. Whilethe Los Angeles district attorney declined to press charges, USC suspended McCoy in August from team activities and he never returned to the field. (DS#1 WR) rSr/2024 WR Bru McCoy , Tennessee. It was one of the hardest things he'd ever done. He had to learn and rethink and recalculate and mess up and grow in front of hundreds and thousands of people. According to Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports, wide receiver recruit Bru McCoy who has already started taking classes at USCis in the NCAA transfer portal. "That it wasn't all for nothing. Not until he explained why to them. She found that her son had responded to a negative comment that read: "Bru is a nobody. "There's . He missed his entire true freshman campaign with an illness before making his debut in a COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign. when he'd walk by. It was arrogant of me," he says. 9 recruit in the 247 Composite rankings, was a highly sought-after edge rusher and wide receiver at Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei High. He had a 101-degree fever. Genuinely good. The former five-star receiver was expected to step into a major role on USCs offense in 2021 but never took the field following a July 24 arrest on suspicion of felony intimate partner violence. ATLANTA Southern Cal transfer wide receiver Bru McCoy is not yet eligible to play for Tennessee this season, Vols coach Josh Heupel said at SEC Media Days on Thursday. It felt like everything was crumbling around him. Where he plays in college will be interesting as he prefers receiver but might have more upside as a 3-4 outside backer. He broke his collarbone twice, rushing into the bathroom to cry the second time so no one would see. 1. He thought attending Mater Dei, instead of going to neighborhood Palos Verdes High School, was the best option to achieve his college football dreams. And no matter how much the 5-star receiver tried to not read the comments, he couldn't escape them. Tennessee receiver Bru McCoy signs with Athletes First for NIL representation Nick Kosko 12/21/22 Bru McCoy announces return to Tennessee for 2023 season Mike Huguenin 12/20/22 Your favorite team signing a top-50 recruit? Shelby McCoy remembers being stopped at the supermarket. Transfer portal here we come Reply JG8AB9TL11OBJ12AD13 Florida . And he had to play incredible every game, because everyone wanted to be The Guy Who Stopped Bru McCoy. ", He takes a breath. The Los Angeles district attorney's office, USCs Office of Equity and Equal Opportunity and Title IX opened an investigation. "Hindsight is always 20/20. "For me to return to USC was probably one of the most difficult and decisive decisions I have made in my entire lifeand probably the best one," he says. He had done something few young athletes do: chased his own happiness. It could come down to a. He felt that what he needed to do was more important than the potential backlash he knew he would receive. The issue of Bru's eligibility ultimately rests with the . Am I the man I hope to be? Rich L.A. homeowners are snapping them up, Still in UCLAs corner, Ben Howland stressed importance of getting No. According to ESPN, McCoy . At three years old, he leapt up on stage at a local Hard Rock Cafe and started dancing. The wide receiver didn't play for the Trojans a year ago, but did appear in six games during the 2020 season. USC football standout wide receiver Bru McCoy has entered the transfer portal, and there isn't a ton of clear direction when it comes to where he's going to go. That decision has helped transform the game of college football by giving players an easier opportunity to change teams and direct their playing careers. He just signed the papers in his school's library and then called Helton and told him how proud he was to be a Trojan. Ryan Kartje (@Ryan_Kartje) January 14, 2022. He says he felt very hurried to get to school, feeling, at the time, that USC intentionally rushed him to get to campus and begin his first class so that his eligibility clock would startso that if he left, he would be classified as a transfer. He never got a break. He heard good things about the Vols from a couple of his former Southern Cal teammates who have transferred to play at Tennessee, wide receiverVelus Jones Jr. and kickerChase McGrath, and the Vols were searching for a receiver capable of making an immediate impact on their offense. christopher henderson footballer wait times university hospital. And, watching, Horace realized something about his son: "He isn't a boy anymore. McCoy, aformer five-star prospect, announced Tuesday night that he has committed to the Vols, publicly revealing a decision he effectively made weeks ago before wrapping up his official visit to Tennessee in late March. Tennessee finished Heupel's second season ranked sixth by The Associated Press college football poll, the Vols' highest finish since 2001. "I made a rash mistake.". Until he had put himself into a different environment, like so many other students who attend a school and change their mind and transfer. Runs well enough to get behind a defense, makes the tough catch look routine and can do something with the ball in his hands after the catch as well. I gave everything I had to the program and gained a lot of great memories, friendships and experiences. He wasn't sure if his judgment was cloudedif he had chosen this place just because it was steeped in childhood nostalgia. No matter what anyone said about him outside their home, he was supported when he was inside those walls. "Bru! Is also a tremendous blocker and plays with incredible effort. Perry, a third-year sophomore, played in all 13 games this season, mostly on special teams. "Unique two-way player with a high projection at receiver or outside linebacker. The recruiting saga of 2019 five-star receiver Bru McCoy keeps on getting weirder. He was still trying to figure it out. BREAKING: Southern Cal WR transfer Bru McCoy has committed to the #Vols, giving #Tennessee a former five-star prospect at a position of need. "I'm in a position where I really get to write the rest of my story.". Suddenly everything felt thrown off track. That 2019 out-of-state load was more miss than hit, though. USC meant everything to him. USC wide receiver Bru McCoy has entered the football transfer portal for the third time. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. 21 catches for 236 yards and two touchdowns across six games. A doctor suggested it may have been a virus that was no longer present but still couldn't determine what he had. Your team is losing. He had a choice: grit his teeth, push through it, just stay at Texas, and look back on his life and say although he went to Texas, he wanted to be at USC the whole timeor leave. The internet was not some abstract place, something that shut off once he closed his laptop. He was on FaceTime. At the time, McCoy was released on $50,000 bond. Remembers receiving a Twitter direct message saying the NFL would never touch a headcase like her son and that she had raised a failure. The NCAA created the transfer portal on Oct. 15, 2018. While a player entering their name in the transfer portal means they intend to explore their options, it does not necessarily mean they will leave. "He only knows to go as hard as he can possibly go at all times.". Why would he ever do that? ", He was tested for lymphoma, autoimmune diseases. We're on the phone with Bru McCoy! McCoy was a candidate for a breakout season with the Trojans in 2021, but he was suspended for the entire season following a domestic-violence arrest in July and was never reinstated. Instead of attempting to remain at the program he once called his dream school, the wide receiver opted to enter the transfer portal. He appeared in six games for USC in 2020, totaling 21 receptions, 236. USC wide receiver Bru McCoy runs the ball during the 2020 Pac-12 championship game against Oregon. Texas fans learned quickly how much of a headache this . USC third-year wide receiver Bru McCoy entered the transfer portal Thursday, 247Sports has learned. He was arrested in July for suspicion of domestic violence on a spouse or someone else who lives with him, and as a result he didn't play a down at SC this year. Somebody's son. When asked now to think of what he'd write,to try to define himself after all he's learned, he grows quiet. Nick Saban was FaceTiming him at school. We talked about this, not answering people.". And there were his parents, who told him: "We love you. He's passionate about social justice, world issues and travel. "They're genuinely invested in their players and their players' success on and off the. According to 247Sports' composite. As much as they want you to be a great player and productive, they want you to be a great man. There was Ava, his younger sister, who battled him one-on-one on the basketball court, as he guarded her hard. More hills, more miles. He was ready to play again. "I used to joke with him: 'Bru, are you this intense when you go to the bathroom?'" "He was in eighth grade, and he was a Division I player to me," says Darryl Lance Johnson, who has coached dozens of Division I players in his 40-year career and coached Bru throughout his childhood. A player is free to take his name out of the portal at any time. Defensive back DeShawn Rucker is the only top-10 signee of that class to remain with the Vols. Hooker attended James B. Dudley High School in Greensboro, North Carolina. - Father Horace played football at Northern Illinois - Mother Shelby was All-American volleyball player at Northern Illinois. As a child, Bru used to cuddle a USC football that his dad gave to him, squeezing it tightly underneath his covers. 13transfer wide receiver for the 2022 cycle. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. "It was a huge load," says Arthur Aragon, his counselor at Mater Dei. "I think Bru found his joy again," says Helton, who felt like he saw Bru finally take a breath. But he appeared to be the odd man out in a tight rotation at wide receiver. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. And I think he found that joy of playing the game, being around the guys and finding himself.". We watched a practice and just saw how the players and coaches interact on and off the field. Bru McCoy wont face criminal charges following an allegation of intimate partner violence, but USCs Title IX office is still reviewing the incident and its unclear whether he will be reinstated on the football team. Hadnt planned any other visits, and its just like, Hey, lets come check it out and see if everything theyve said is true., And everything the coaches have been saying over the phone and everything, it was more than true.. "Arrogant 18-year-old me thought, 'I'll just go to Texas. McCoy, one of the most ballyhooed recruits in years, played only one full season with the Trojans. USC wide receiver Bru McCoy entered the transfer portal on Thursday, according to multiple reports. That's what one man said when Horace McCoy Jr. answered the phone. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Roundtable: Our March Madness projections for UCLA, USC and others. They were the reason he was able to keep going. After all that people have said about her son, he still believes people can be good. - Nov 28, 2022 Tennessee wide receiver Bru McCoy came to Knoxville from USC via the transfer portal. It's all he can control right now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, unsure if there will be a season. But Heupels staff has made it clear that he will have a chance to compete for immediate playing time and perhaps even earn the starting job opposite fifth-year senior, GET A VIP MEMBERSHIP TO GOVOLS247 JUST $1 FOR THE FIRST MONTH. No matter how ridiculous it sounded. Youve got to make your own opinion. However, schools are under no obligation to keep a player on scholarship once they enter the portal. Am I happy? CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. he'd ask himself. Wasn't sure who really wanted to be his friend, for him; not for how much money he could make one day. They were stunned. USC wide receiver Bru McCoy has entered the football transfer portal for the third time. Wide receiver Walker Merrill and offensive lineman R.J. Perry became the eighth and ninth Tennessee football players to enter the transfer portal from the 2022 team. Let's also not forget that one of Georgia's QBs, JT Daniels, is a former teammate of McCoy's at both Mater Dei High School and USC. That he was more than his transfers, his skills on the field. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound McCoy transferred to Tennessee from USC. He had an enormous amount of blood drawn. Alexa McCoy heard it at parties at her college. Get away!'" She was furious, running up the stairs into his room. Another knock on his character. But I promise you I'll support you regardless.". Outstanding pass rusher who combines an explosive first step to get the edge with the power to bull rush a tackle or change direction and flashes a quick move to the inside. That meant the world to Bru: to be loved, to be seen. That's a lot of money.". Quietness will get you to where you want to be.". "Maybe this isn't the right place for me? Players that enter their name into the transfer portal dont necessarily leave their schools. Like any 18-year-old, he couldn't have come to these realizations until he experienced them. she thought. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. "At no point since Bru entered the transfer portal in January have we objected to him being made immediately eligible to play at Tennessee. The 247 guys for every single site are so sick of this kid - it's insane. Bru was the same way. 9 overall recruit in the 2021 class per the 247Sports Composite. Bru often played through pain. McCoy, 21, did not play a snap at USC this season after he was arrested in July on suspicion of violating California Penal Code Section 273.5(a), which covers domestic violence toward a spouse or other cohabitant. Big, strong and physical as a wideout with good hands and high-level body control. He attended a family wedding, feeling confused as ever. Ryan Kartje is the USC beat writer at the Los Angeles Times. His family didn't understand at first. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound McCoy is setto officially join the Vols this month to attend May mini-session classes, giving them a veteran wide receiver capable of helping them replace former starters Jonesand, McCoy, who has three remaining seasons of eligibility, said he chose Tennessee because of itsdevelopment at wide receiver and his opportunity to make an immediate impactin coach, His official visit to Tennessee in late March allowed him to attend at least a portion of two of the Vols spring practices and spend plenty of time with Heupels staff, including first-yearwide receivers coach, During the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, McCoy caught 21 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns in six games while playing in a USC receiving corps that included a 2021 fourth-round NFL draft pick in, The Vols havent made any promises to McCoy, he said, about the role he might play once he arrives at Tennessee later this spring. He was a 5-star, 247Sports' No. In a lot of ways, Bru feels like he felt during freshman year of high school, when he didn't know what would happen, taking a leap of faith to attend Mater Dei. McCoy had entered the college football transfer portal for a third time in January. That means all players who enter the transfer portal for the first time will be immediately eligible at their new school as long as they meet a NCAA mandated entry deadline. And it was frustrating, not being able to answer when people asked him: What's wrong with you? Something was just off. There was Alexa, who loved being the water girl at his Pop Warner gameshanding out Gatorade bottles to all the playersand would cry when he lost. All Rights Reserved. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. He caught 21 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns. Genuinely happy. Then he began sweating uncontrollably. McCoy was arrested on suspicion of intimate partner violence last July and "temporarily removed from team activities". Column: 15 minutes of fame flies by. Clay Helton helped him turn a corner, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, Review: A reimagined Secret Garden fails to flower anew at the Ahmanson Theatre, A $150,000 executive protection dog? The former five-star recruit did notsuit upfor the Trojans this year following an offseason arrest for a felony domestic violence charge. On May 3, his saga seemingly came to an end, when . "Everybody has an opinion, and there was no being right.". The Mystery of Bru McCoy He was the top athlete in the 2019 recruiting class, then transferred twice and missed time with an illness no one could explain. "It's no excuse, but I was 18. However, he was arrested in July on suspicion of felony intimate partner violence and was removed from USCs roster. So I came in with just an open mind completely. "I had to kind of come to terms with myself," he says. The former five-star recruit did not suit up for the Trojans this year following an. We met the players and the entire coaching staff and everything they talked up lined up when we saw them in action. He joined The Times after six years with the Southern California News Group. Comments that he was indecisivea flippant kid with no respect for his word, though college coaches come and go as they please, making millions as they doburned him too. This marks the second consecutive years the Trojans have tapped the transfer portal for one of the nation's best wide receivers. A teenager. He trusts himself. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. Runs well enough to get behind a defense, makes the tough catch look routine and can do something with the ball in his hands after the catch as well. We're here for you, and football doesn't affect our relationship or our love.". But he said he needed to see Tennessee for himself to verify what he had heard about the program, and he didnt come away disappointed. 5 his entire career. He'd wake up at 6 a.m., walk to the training facility to get his temperature taken, find it was still over 100, walk back to his apartment and try to sleep on his stiff leather couch, sweating the rest of the day. - Led Mater Dei to two consecutive CIF and state titles in his junior and senior seasons. 2022 College Football Transfer Portal 247Sports Home FB Rec FB Recruiting Home News Feed Team Rankings Commitments Decommitments Scheduled Commits Player Rankings Player Search Crystal Ball. (Ashley Landis / Associated Press) After a lost season that began with his arrest and. He was a young man, and he was making adult decisions.". High school games. Georgia Transfer Portal . Then he started losing weight and couldn't sleep much. Plays the run very well and is comfortable in space or dropping back in to coverage. More mindfulness. This community, the campus everything the way people treat each other here, it fits the type of person I am. So while most of the sport's high-profile transfers have already committed, here is a look at the top 10 uncommitted transfers following Sunday's portal deadline. 'Quietness?' He's a has-been. Potential early impact player at BCS level and high round NFL draft pick. Things dont just get handed to you, given to you. SC didn't do me right.' 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. That's the hard part of growing up: realizing that your failures, your successes, your decisions and your second guesses, are yours. The NCAA introduced the transfer portal on Oct. 15, 2018, providing athletes a path to explore their options. "Quiet in the storm.". Right now, there's a lot of uncertainty with McCoy's off-the-field situation. Then she did what she tries not to do: scrolled down to the comments. And all three plan to return next season. Capture the thrills of Tennessee football's epic 2022 season with our special newbook. Or the strength staff leaving? Bru was always on his way somewhere. Always there. So he bikes. "I put so much into him leaving, for what? It could come down to a bunch of schools, and we don't REALLY know what McCoy wants. Honestly, the thing that was wrong with Texas was that it wasn't USC. The way I saw it is, theres an opportunity, said McCoy, who was ranked the No. Wide receiver Walker Merrill and offensive lineman R.J. Perry became the eighth and ninth Tennessee football players to enter the transfer portal from the 2022 team. He appeared in six games for USC in 2020,. Since, Bru McCoy has wholeheartedly disavowed the allegations. To strangers. He didn't want to tell anyone about it. His parents, who was ranked the no one day really know what McCoy wants issue of Bru #. 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