Tennessee's Jermod McCoy named a semifinalist for Thorpe Award
Tennessee defensive back Jermod McCoy has been named a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award, given annually to the top defensive back in college football. McCoy is one of 14 semifinalists for the award and one of just two sophomores who made the list, alongside Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.
Eric Berry in 2009 is Tennessee’s lone winner of the Thorpe Award.
McCoy has starred in his first season with the Vols after transferring from Oregon State. He has 24 tackles, one tackle for loss, two interceptions and five passes defended.
McCoy made his biggest play of the season against Alabama last week, intercepting Jalen Milroe in the end zone on a pass to Ryan Williams. He took the pick back 54 yards before being brought down by the Crimson Tide.
Up Next: No. 7 Tennessee vs. Kentucky, Saturday, 7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network
“It is never perfect,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said during his press conference Monday when asked about McCoy’s play. “You’re chasing it every day, but he’s playing really good football, playing with great discipline at the line of scrimmage and his press technique. He’s got the athletic traits to recover when it’s not perfect at the line of scrimmage.
“He’s doing a great job of playing the 50-50 ball, back shoulder fades or vertically all the way down the football field. That comes from his maturity, his fundamentals and technique and competitive composure at the end of the play.”
McCoy had a season-high eight tackles against Alabama. He had five against Arkansas and three against Florida, Oklahoma and North Carolina State. He also picked off a pass in the win at Oklahoma, returning the pick 17 yards.
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Jermod McCoy was a three-star wide receiver prospect out of Texas in 2023
Last season McCoy had 31 tackles in 12 games, with one tackle for loss, two interceptions and seven passes defended.
McCoy has turned into a shut-down corner despite being an unheralded recruit out of Whitehouse High School in Whitehouse, Texas, in 2023. He was a three-star prospect at wide receiver.
“I think it just starts with his maturity as a person,” Heupel said Monday of McCoy’s development. “Coming out of high school, what he did before he got on the field in three months at the previous stop (Oregon State), changing his body. A guy that was recruited to play some wide receiver, flips over to the other side of the football.
“He’s a sponge as far as soaking up information inside the meeting room. Extremely bright. It’s not like you’re restarting every single day. He’s able to grow upon what happened in the previous day on the field or in the meeting room.”
