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 Draft Scout College Football Player News: Tennessee
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  Joe Milton is doing all he can to prepare for his first Tennessee football start. The Michigan transfer quarterback has even studied how the Vols run onto the field at Neyland Stadium. "I have never been through it," Milton said on "Tennessee Prime" on Tuesday. "I saw videos. But the videos I saw, they kind of went opposite ways. I know that is not how it goes now." Milton is in a familiar but different position heading into Tennessee's season opener against Bowling Green on Thursday (8 p.m. ET, SEC Network).

The junior won a quarterback battle at Michigan prior to the 2020 season. He did it again at Tennessee, winning the position during the preseason. But Milton felt differently when Vols coach Josh Heupel appointed him QB1. "My first time being named the starter at Michigan, I was very excited," Milton said. "I was walking around with my chest out. Just felt like I couldn't be touched. After my situation that happened over there and all that happened and I became the starter here, I was humbled. "I learned my lesson from what I did previously." - Knoxville News Sentinel

rSr/2024 QB Joe Milton III, Tennessee
News Source: Knoxville News Sentinel
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  If Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel's offense is going to work, its got to start on the ground. The Volunteers' 38-6 season-opening win over Bowling Green on Thursday night was a perfect example of how the first-year coach's up-tempo attack can function on all cylinders. The Vols struggled with just 67 yards rushing and led 14-6 at halftime. With a focus on the ground assault, they amassed 259 yards and separated themselves from the Falcons.

Jabari Small finished with 124 yards rushing with two touchdowns. Tiyon Evans added 116 yards on the ground and a touchdown. "Offensively there were times where we were clicking, played efficiently," said Heupel. "Other times there were things we could control that we didn't operate as efficiently as we can. Going to need to clean those things up as we move deeper into the season." Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton, a transfer from Michigan, ran for two scores and was 11-of-23 passing for 140 yards. His only completion of the second half was a 40-yard touchdown to Cedric Tillman. - Tennessee/AP College Football

Sr/2024 RB Jabari Small, Tennessee
News Source: Tennessee/AP College Football
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  Josh Heupel sat in a high school football coach's office in 2017 when the question he traveled 1,100 miles to answer was asked. What would you do with Joe Milton? It surely intrigued Heupel, the Missouri offensive coordinator who was recruiting Milton, a blue-chip quarterback from Orlando's Olympia High. Milton had one of the strongest arms of any quarterback Heupel had seen. And that's saying a lot considering he coached two Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks and finished runner-up for the award himself as an Oklahoma quarterback.

Heupel's answer surprised Kyle Hayes, the high school coach who asked it. Heupel said Milton should throw the football short and softly. "Just because a guy has a big arm, it doesn't mean they should only do big things with that arm," Hayes recalled Heupel telling him. "Give Joe confidence throws. Complete short passes, build his confidence and then take deep shots." That's the closest Heupel had come to coaching Milton, who played three seasons at Michigan, until he transferred to Tennessee this summer. Fast-forward four years from that recruiting visit, and Heupel and Milton are finally together. Coach and quarterback will debut for the Vols against Bowling Green on Thursday (8 p.m. ET, SEC Network) when that advice might be put to good use. Heupel announced Milton as his starting quarterback on Monday after a preseason competition with Virginia Tech transfer Hendon Hooker and sophomore Harrison Bailey. - Knoxville News Sentinel

rSr/2024 QB Joe Milton III, Tennessee
News Source: Knoxville News Sentinel
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  Tennessee first-year coach Josh Heupel is turning to a former Wolverine to open the season as the team's starting quarterback. Heupel, who spent the previous three years at Central Florida, announced Monday that ex-Michigan quarterback Joe Milton will start behind center for the Volunteers in their opener Thursday against Bowling Green. "Joe, his grasp on our offense in the short amount of time he developed here in the early portion of training camp, his acceleration of what we're doing, his physical attributes and his decision-making led us to put the ball in his hands," Heupel said.

Despite joining the program in April after spring practices, Milton beat out Virginia Tech transfer Hendon Hooker and sophomore Harrison Bailey, a top-100 recruit in the 2020 class who started the final three games for Tennessee last season, for the No. 1 job. Last season at Michigan, Milton won the starting job over Cade McNamara and Dylan McCaffrey and had a solid start to the season, completing 15 of 22 passes for 225 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 52 yards and a score in a win over Minnesota. - Ann Arbor News

rSr/2024 QB Joe Milton III, Tennessee
News Source: Ann Arbor News
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  USC receiver Bru McCoy won't face criminal charges after the Los Angeles County district attorney's office declined to file a case following his arrest last month on suspicion of felony intimate partner violence. The district attorney's office cited insufficient evidence when asked about its decision but offered no further details. "We appreciate the careful consideration by both the district attorney's office and LAPD," Michael Goldstein, McCoy's attorney, said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. "We always trusted the process and the right decision was made." McCoy, 21, was arrested July 24 at 5:30 p.m. on suspicion of violating California Penal Code Section 273.5(a), which pertains to a person who "willfully inflicts corporal injury resulting in a traumatic condition" upon a spouse, former spouse, cohabitant or dating partner. He was released the same night on $50,000 bail and was scheduled to appear in court Nov. 24. - Los Angeles Times

rSr/2025 WR Bru McCoy, Tennessee
News Source: Los Angeles Times
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  Tennessee earned a preseason All-SEC honor in all three phases of the game Tuesday. Senior offensive lineman Cade Mays, a Knoxville native, was voted to the first team by the league's coaches. He could start at guard or tackle. Cornerback Alontae Taylor, a Manchester native, made the third team. He had 29 tackles and five pass breakups last season and enters this year as one of the Vols' best defenders. Punter Paxton Brooks was voted to the second team. He averaged 43.6 yards per punt in 2020 and ranked fourth in the SEC. Mays, Taylor and Brooks were also voted to the preseason All-SEC team voted on by the media, which was released in July. - Knoxville News Sentinel

rSr/2022 OT Cade Mays, Tennessee
News Source: Knoxville News Sentinel
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  Kodi Burns identified a physical attribute and a mental characteristic in Cedric Tillman when he joined the Tennessee football staff in February. The Vols wide receivers coach noted Tillman's big frame. He also identified that Tillman didn't have a whole lot of confidence. "Right now, I think he is starting to play more confident," Burns said Wednesday. "I think he is starting to play big." Tillman has played sparingly in his three seasons at Tennessee. The redshirt junior has made eight catches for 124 yards in 25 games with two starts. But he could be primed to break out under Josh Heupel's up-tempo system that Velus Jones Jr. has described as a wide receiver's dream. "I think he has has got a really good chance to be a really good player in this league," Burns said. Tillman, who signed with the Vols in 2018 out of Las Vegas Bishop Gorman, gives Burns and Heupel a different option at wide receiver. He's not as flashy as Jones or Jalin Hyatt. He's not as shifty as Jimmy Calloway or JaVonta Payton. - Knoxville News Sentinel

rSr/2023 WR Cedric Tillman, Tennessee
News Source: Knoxville News Sentinel
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  JaVonta Payton stayed busy as a Mississippi State receiver the past two seasons. Now a graduate transfer at Tennessee, the 6-foot-1, 180-pounder from Nashville believes he can have more of an impact in Josh Heupel's up-tempo offense than he did a year ago in Mike Leach's "Air Raid" attack. "With the Air Raid, it was a lot of sitting down in zones and reading the defenses," Payton said during a recent news conference. "I go deep a lot more now than I did when I was at State, so I would definitely say that this offense is more comfortable for me. I think I can bring a lot of speed to this offense. "I can run. Any DB that lines up with me needs to be ready to run."

Payton, who has one season of eligibility with the Volunteers, insists that sophomore receiver Jalin Hyatt and freshman defensive back De'Shawn Rucker are the only teammates who could potentially top him in a race. He has switched Southeastern Conference locales after tallying 28 catches for 372 yards and a touchdown during his stint in Starkville, which followed two seasons at Northwest (Mississippi) Community College. Tennessee's receiver position, like many others, was noticeably affected by departures following last season. Josh Palmer became a third-round pick of the Los Angeles Chargers, while Brandon Johnson transferred to Central Florida and Malachi Wideman to Jackson State. - Chattanooga Times Free Press

rSr/2022 WR JaVonta Payton, Tennessee
News Source: Chattanooga Times Free Press
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  Milton has zip, but what about touch? Milton has the reputation of having the strongest throwing arm of the group. That could come into play since Heupel values the deep ball in his explosive offensive system. But Milton's deep ball was nowhere to be seen. Specifically, quarterbacks only threw short and intermediate passes when practice was open to media. From that, it was clear that Milton has tremendous zip on the ball. His passes were darts, fast and accurate. That hints at the distance of his deep passes. But it remains to be seen if he has touch. A couple of his short passes ricocheted off the hands of receivers because they arrived so quickly with no touch.

Maybe it's more obvious because he's 6-5, but Milton held the football very low in the pocket before he loaded it to pass. While waiting for a receiver to come open, the football was held near his waist. Perhaps it's a minor glitch in his mechanics, but it could become relevant because of the serious thumb injury to Milton's throwing hand that he suffered last season at Michigan. Milton is already a big target for pass rushers. If the football is held too low, they'll rake it when coming off the edge. Heupel values protecting the ball. His UCF team lost six fumbles in 10 games last season, the same as Pruitt's Vols. - Knoxville News Sentinel

rSr/2024 QB Joe Milton III, Tennessee
News Source: Knoxville News Sentinel
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  USC wide receiver Bru McCoy was arrested on July 24 on suspicion of felony intimate partner violence with injury, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson confirmed on Monday. McCoy, 21, was placed on $50,000 bail and released from jail the same night as his arrest. Police responded to the incident around 5:30 p.m. that evening. No charges have been filed against McCoy at this time, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office confirmed.

In a statement when contacted about the arrest, USC athletics said that McCoy has been temporarily suspended from team activities. "USC does not condone violence of any kind. We are aware of the situation, and USC's Office for Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX is reviewing it," the statement from USC read. "Because of federal student privacy laws, we are unable to share additional information at this time." McCoy is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 24. McCoy enrolled at USC in 2019 for the spring semester after graduating early from Mater Dei. Soon after, he transferred to Texas and participated in spring practice with the Longhorns. But he transferred back to USC that summer. - Orange County Register

rSr/2025 WR Bru McCoy, Tennessee
News Source: Orange County Register
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  USC football's near-unthinkable post-Memorial Day transfer successes became official Tuesday night when the program announced the arrivals of Santa Ana Mater Dei wide receiver Bru McCoy and Bellflower St. A Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson confirmed McCoy was arrested on July 24 at 5:30 p.m. on suspicion of intimate partner violence with injury. The violation, listed under California Penal Code section 273.5(a), pertains to a person who "willfully inflicts corporal injury resulting in a traumatic condition" upon a spouse, former spouse, cohabitant or dating partner.

McCoy was released that same night on $50,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 24. No further details about the incident were immediately available. After a tumultuous start to his college career that included a back-and-forth transfer saga and a mysterious illness, McCoy was expected to finally emerge this season as one of the top options in a high-octane USC passing game. Last season, he caught 21 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns, positioning himself for a breakout season in 2021. McCoy now faces pending felony charges, just a few days ahead of the start of USC's training camp. - Los Angeles Times

rSr/2025 WR Bru McCoy, Tennessee
News Source: Los Angeles Times
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  The Tennessee Volunteers are scheduled to report for preseason football practice Tuesday, with the first workout set for Wednesday morning. A couple of veteran players will not be among them. Sixth-year senior tight end Austin Pope and fifth-year offensive lineman Riley Locklear have decided not to be a part of Josh Heupel's first season in Knoxville due to lingering medical issues. Pope underwent a second procedure for a herniated disc last summer that resulted in him sitting out last season, while Locklear was banged up throughout last season and played very sparingly. - Chattanooga Times Free Press

rSr/2022 TE Austin Pope, Tennessee
News Source: Chattanooga Times Free Press
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  Velus Jones Jr. and Alontae Taylor will represent Tennessee football at SEC Media Days on Tuesday. The Vols senior wide receiver and cornerback were announced Wednesday as UT's player representatives alongside coach Josh Huepel. SEC Football Media Days will be held at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham-Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama. The event was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was most recently held in July 2019. Jones elected to return after his first season at UT as a graduate transfer from Southern California. Jones averaged 22.1 yards on 18 kickoff returns and also caught 22 passes for 280 yards and had three carries for 16 yards. Jones became a bigger factor in the offense later in the season. Half of his catches came in two games. He had four catches against Florida on Dec. 5 and caught seven passes against Vanderbilt on Dec. 12. - Knoxville News Sentinel

rSr/2022 WR Velus Jones Jr., Tennessee
News Source: Knoxville News Sentinel
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  Tennessee football is losing a former starter along the defensive line. Rising junior Greg Emerson entered the NCAA transfer portal on Saturday. He will have three seasons of eligibility remaining. After redshirting as a freshman in 2018, Emerson started 10 games in 2019, totaling 30 tackles, four for a loss, and two sacks. He took a step back in 2020 in favor of veteran defensive linemen returning from injuries, appearing in eight games as a reserve with just one tackle. The 6-fot-3, 290-pound Emerson signed with Tennessee as a four-star defensive lineman from North Side in Jackson, Tennessee, rated as the No. 5 prospect in the state and No. 136 nationally in the 247Sports Composite. Emerson is the third defensive lineman to enter the portal, joining John Mincey and early enrollee Isaac Washington. - Knoxville News Sentinel

rJr/2023 DT Greg Emerson, Tennessee
News Source: Knoxville News Sentinel
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  An animal cruelty citation against Tennessee linebacker Aaron Beasley was dismissed at a court hearing on Thursday. His case is expunged and the citation will not appear on any criminal records. "We are happy with the court's decision to dismiss the case against Aaron Beasley," The Bosch Law Firm, the firm representing Beasley, wrote in a statement provided to Knox News. "As defense counsel stated this morning, Aaron maintains his innocence and denies these unfounded and unproven allegations." Beasley was accused of abusing a 6-month old cat in an incident that occurred on March 31, according to the general sessions docket. A police report was filed on April 1 and Beasley was suspended from UT's football program on April 5. He was officially cited for animal cruelty on April 6. Beasley has played in 17 games since joining the program in 2019, amassing seven tackles and forcing one fumble in 2020. - Knoxville News Sentinel

rSr/2024 ILB Aaron Beasley, Tennessee
News Source: Knoxville News Sentinel
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