The Tennessee Vols landed one of their top transfer portal targets on Tuesday as former five-star wide receiver Bru McCoy announced his commitment to UT.

McCoy was rated as the No. 9 overall player in the 2019 recruiting class. He originally signed with USC, before briefly transferring to Texas and then returning to the Trojans.

The California native redshirted in 2019 and then played in six games in the pandemic shortened 2020 season, catching 21 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns.

McCoy missed the 2021 season amid allegations of domestic violence. No charges were filed against McCoy (the Los Angeles County district attorney's office said there wasn't enough evidence). USC, however, continued its investigation into the allegations, which led to McCoy sitting out the entire season.

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McCoy's father spoke to 247Sports this week about his son's commitment and he gave the specific reason why the younger McCoy decided to transfer to Tennessee.

According to McCoy's father, the reason the Vols landed the former five-star recruit was because of the authenticity of Josh Heupel and his coaching staff.

“A big [reason] was the culture at Tennessee," said McCoy's father of his son's decision to commit to UT. "We met the players and the entire coaching staff and everything they talked up lined up when we saw them in action."

“We watched a practice and just saw how the players and coaches interact on and off the field. He wanted to be around a positive culture in a great learning environment with players who want to be there and it just felt like home for Bru right away.”

McCoy's father also noted that the scheme at Tennessee fits his son perfectly.

“The scheme they run is perfect for Bru,” said McCoy's father. “When you’re looking for a school, scheme fit is so important and he loves the offense and how they can use him."

We're living in a new era of college football. New NIL rules, along with the NCAA transfer portal, have completely changed the way coaches manage rosters.

But while NIL deals and scheme fit play a massive role in where a player commits, there's still no substitute for authenticity. Nearly every major program out there is writing NIL checks to players. Money isn't always the deciding factor in a recruit's decision.

In fact, I still think it comes down to relationships. And Heupel and his staff are proving to be elite when it comes to developing meaningful relationships with recruits and transfers.

That's a great sign for the health of the Vols' program moving forward. Heupel is building a monster in Knoxville and he's building it via sustainable methods. Tennessee is being set up by Heupel to have long-term success, something that's eluded the program for over a decade.

The Vols aren't back just yet. But they're certainly well on their way to being a threat in the SEC again.

Featured image via Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports