USC says it's not holding up Bru McCoy's eligibility for Tennessee football
Southern Cal says it's not to blame for wide receiver Bru McCoy still not being declared eligible to play for Tennessee.
The Vols hope McCoy, who transferred from USC, will be eligible to play in the season opener against Ball State on Sept. 1 (7 p.m., SEC Network). But time is running out, and Tennessee starts game preparation this week.
In a statement, USC said the NCAA is the only obstacle to McCoy playing for the Vols this season.
"USC has – consistent with NCAA rules – promptly and accurately responded to all requests from the University of Tennessee related to the eligibility of Bru McCoy. 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 issue of Bru’s eligibility ultimately rests with the NCAA, and we wish him the very best."
USC issued the statement after Vols coach Josh Heupel said Tennessee was doing its part.
"There are some things that are out of my control and Bru's control and our administration's control in this process," Heupel said on Friday. "Everybody on our side is working as hard as they possibly can to make sure we come to a resolution as quickly as possible and give the kid an opportunity to go play."
McCoy must receive a release from USC or get a waiver from the NCAA to become eligible immediately. Either way, cooperation from USC would move the process along.
McCoy's multiple transfers in the past is the issue.
The NCAA allows players to transfer once without sitting out a season. In January 2019, McCoy enrolled at USC, transferred to Texas several weeks later for spring practice and then transferred back to USC that summer before playing a college game.
If McCoy becomes eligible, he has a chance to start for the Vols, who must replace two of three starters from last season's wide receiving corps.
McCoy was a five-star prospect and the No. 1 athlete in the 2019 recruiting class. He took a redshirt in 2019, played six games (three starts) in 2020 and did not play in 2021. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining, according to Tennessee’s official website.
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McCoy had off-the-field issues at USC, but that doesn't appear to be a factor in his eligibility.
McCoy was arrested on July 24, 2021, on suspicion of felony intimate partner violence following an alleged incident with his ex-girlfriend and suspended by USC. But the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office declined to file charges due to insufficient evidence in what it referred to as a “he said, she said domestic violence” case.
USC’s Title IX investigation was dropped in February because McCoy’s ex-girlfriend told USC she would not cooperate in a hearing or grant the school access to her medical records, the Los Angeles Times reported. Her restraining order against McCoy was upheld.
McCoy entered the transfer portal in January, announced his commitment to Tennessee in May and enrolled in June. Heupel said Tennessee vetted McCoy before accepting his transfer.
Reach Adam Sparks at adam.sparks@knoxnews.com and on Twitter @AdamSparks.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: USC says it's not holding up Bru McCoy's eligibility for Tennessee
