CBS Sports ranks Tennessee Vols standout as the No. 35 best player in college football for the 2025 season
Earlier this week, CBS Sports ranked the top 150 players in college football for the 2025 season, and a Tennessee Vols standout came in near the top of their rankings. CBS Sports ranked Vols junior cornerback Jermod McCoy as the No. 35 best player in college football ahead of the 2025 season. McCoy, who transferred […]
Earlier this week, CBS Sports ranked the top 150 players in college football for the 2025 season, and a Tennessee Vols standout came in near the top of their rankings.
CBS Sports ranked Vols junior cornerback Jermod McCoy as the No. 35 best player in college football ahead of the 2025 season.
McCoy, who transferred from Oregon State to Tennessee ahead of the 2024 season, was a revelation for UT last year, leading the Vols in passes defensed while recording four interceptions.
Unfortunately for McCoy, the talented cornerback tore his ACL early during the offseason. It's unclear when he'll return to the field, though there's hope that he will be able to make an impact for Tennessee at some point in 2025.
From CBS Sports: Solid 2024 campaign with 4 INTs and 13 PBUs. Strong press corner who rarely got beat outside of perfect deep balls. Excellent spatial awareness and ball-tracking. Physical in run support. Consistent, reliable, and trending toward early-round status. McCoy suffered a torn ACL while offseason training in January, but he may be good to go by the start of the year.
McCoy, who was recently pointed out by Pro Football Focus as a potential first round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, has remained closely involved with Tennessee's defense while rehabbing his knee injury.
"He has been outstanding," said Vols secondary coach Willie Martinez in March when asked about McCoy. "The first day I met Jermod, I was kind of like 'Man, is this guy is for real?' I'm talking about the personality. We already knew about him as a player. He's the same dude every day. He's just growing as a leader. He's out there every day. He's actually coaching guys in the room. I told him, that's how you are going to stay involved and become an elite corner, is that you don't really have to physically do it – you can do it mentally. Not that he's not taking care of business, because he is in his rehab. He's been outstanding."
Junior cornerback Rickey Gibson III is poised to operate as Tennessee's top cornerback while McCoy is sidelined.
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