If there was ever a time for Tim Banks' Tennessee Volunteers defense to step up, this would be it. On3's Chris Low and Brett McMurphy reported on Friday that "Tennessee All-America(n) cornerback Jermod McCoy will miss Saturday’s opener against Syracuse and is expected to miss multiple games, but is diligently working to return at some point this season." He tore his ACL back in January.
McCoy is projected to be a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but he has not been cleared to fully practice yet with the Vols. This is why Banks seems to have put an even greater emphasis on fellow defensive back Jalen McMurray having a breakout campaign.