Tennessee Vols cornerback Jermod McCoy missed the entire 2025 season while recovering from a torn ACL.

McCoy, who is at the NFL scouting combine this week but won’t participate in workouts, tore his ACL early last year during offseason workouts.

At one point last fall, there was speculation that McCoy might return to the field as early as October.

Vols head coach Josh Heupel, however, took issue with that idea.

“Jermod continues to do a great job in his rehab with our medical staff and our strength staff,” said Heupel in October. “Somebody told me there was a report out there of a certain ball game that he’s focused in on as far as returning. I think that’s unfair. Whoever put that out there, I don’t think truly understands Jermod and the situation.

“He’s done a really good job. He’s got more to go. I think it’s all about him being prepared to go play. There’s a lot of things that go into that. You look at the position he plays, all the reactionary work that you have to have. And so, you’re always balancing his ability to be prepared, and [his] short-term and long-term health as well.”

Jermod McCoy gets asked how close he was to returning to game action in 2025

McCoy was asked Thursday at the combine how close he was to returning to the field this past season.

“I was trying to get back out there,” said McCoy. “I got cleared, I was doing everything and practicing and everything. I just didn’t feel ready yet.”

“I’m still the same person that I was before the injury,” added McCoy.

Returning at all in 2025 was always an aggressive timeline for McCoy. I suggested when the injury happened that McCoy would probably miss the entire season, so I wasn’t surprised when it played out that way.

ACL recoveries can be tricky — especially for cornerbacks because of all the sudden cutting they do.

McCoy will work out at his pro day at Tennessee later this spring.

Tennessee Volunteers News

Tennessee Vols cornerback Jermod McCoy clears the air about his controversial NFL combine decision

Tennessee Vols cornerback Jermod McCoy won’t be working out at the NFL scouting combine.

Zach Ragan