Tennessee's receiving corps strengthened six days before the kickoff to its 2022 season.
Bru McCoy, the former five-star signee who began his career at Southern California, had his NCAA transfer waiver approved Friday and will be eligible to suit up Thursday night when the Volunteers open against Ball State inside Neyland Stadium.
Second-year offensive coordinator Alex Golesh said earlier this week in a news conference that the Vols were preparing a game plan as if McCoy was going to play.
"We'll adjust if we need to if we don't have him," Golesh said. "He's a really good football player who has fit right into our culture and has added to our culture. He's hard-working and tough and smart and really dynamic, and in a lot of ways he is super, super grateful to be here and have another chance to do this."
The 6-foot-3, 220-pound McCoy announced his transfer to Tennessee in early May, instantly becoming the most highly touted player coming out of high school on the roster. McCoy was the No. 9 overall signee nationally in the 247Sports.com composite rankings in 2019, one spot ahead of current Tennessee right tackle Darnell Wright.
After redshirting with the Trojans in 2019, McCoy played in all six games of their coronavirus-shortened 2020 season and collected 21 catches for 236 yards and two touchdowns. His promising 2021 season was derailed last August, when he was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department on an intimate partner violence charge.
Though criminal charges were dropped within a few weeks, McCoy was never allowed back on the team but was able to take fall semester classes.
Vols second-year head coach Josh Heupel has repeatedly thanked Tennessee's administration throughout McCoy's eligibility quest.
"There are some things that are out of my control and Bru's control and our administration's control in this process," Heupel said last week. "Everybody on our side is working as hard as they can to make sure we come to a resolution as quickly as possible and give the kid an opportunity to go play."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.