Heading to Alabama for a marquee matchup, Tennessee football will remain without its starting pair of cornerbacks due to injury. On Wednesday night’s availability report, both Jermod McCoy and Rickey Gibson III were ruled as ‘out’.
For McCoy, he is yet to play a snap in his junior year. The projected first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft suffered an ACL injury in the winter that he is still recovering from. Last Monday, Vols head coach Josh Heupel gave this update.
“Jermod continues to do a great job in his rehab with our medical staff, our strength staff,” Heupel said. “Somebody told me there was a report out there of a certain ball game that he’s focused in on as far as returning. I think that’s unfair. Whoever put that out there, I don’t think truly understands Jermod and the situation. He’s done a really good job.
“He’s got more to go. I think it’s all about him being prepared to go play. There’s a lot of things that go into that. You look at the position he plays, all the reactionary work that you have to have in so your always balancing his ability to be prepared and short-term, long-term health as well.”
In his first year with UT, McCoy managed 44 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss. He came up with four interceptions, as well, including a one-handed snag against Ryan Williams of Alabama and a circus catch in the end zone at Vanderbilt.
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Gibson started the season at corner but went down with an upper-body injury early in the game vs. Syracuse. He hasn’t returned since, and it’s questionable if he’ll be able to return for another snap of his junior year.
“Rickey will be out for an extended period here,” Heupel said the Monday following his injury. “How long, I don’t have the exact timeline on. But he’ll be out for an extended time.”
Gibson entered his junior year as a second-year starter with high expectations. He was named a Preseason All-SEC Third-Team member by Athlon. As a sophomore, he produced 32 tackles, two tackles for loss, five passes defended and a forced fumble.
Without McCoy or Gibson, it’ll be Colton Hood and Ty Redmond holding it down again. Hood, a Colorado transfer, has been a breakout star that’s played his way into a possible first-round selection in the upcoming NFL draft. Redmond is a true freshman who has played nearly every snap at corner since Gibson’s injury. William Wright has been the first option off the bench, but has only sparingly seen the field.
