One Vol who has been surprisingly elite in 2024
The Tennessee Volunteers are sitting at 4-0 and are the No. 5 team in the country per the latest AP Poll.
This impressive start to the season can be attributed to several things, but one player has seemingly flown under the radar to this point.
Jermod McCoy was added via the transfer portal this offseason. McCoy played in 12 games for Oregon State in 2023 and racked up 31 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 2 interceptions, and 7 pass deflections. Those are solid numbers, but many anticipated that McCoy would simply be a depth piece or an average starter.
Instead, McCoy has been elite as a Tennesee Volunteer. Through 4 games, the corner has collected 8 tackles, 1 INT, and 3 pass deflections. McCoy’s best performance, however, came against the Oklahoma Sooners in Week 4.
Per PFF College, McCoy had 48 coverage snaps and allowed 0 catches on 4 targets. When targeted, the corner allowed a 0.0 passer rating and came up with 1 INT and 1 pass breakup.
As a result of that performance, McCoy was named the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award National Defensive Back of the Week.
Nico Iamaleava, Dylan Sampson, and the defensive line have received plenty of praise, and rightfully so. However, McCoy has seemingly gone under the radar due to his lack of eye-popping stats. When you’re a defensive back, though, it usually means you’re doing your job if you’re flying under the radar.
Some doubted McCoy’s impressive start due to the lack of quality opponents faced. However, facing a ranked conference opponent on the road surely qualifies as a quality opponent. McCoy is just damn good.