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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

(DS#20 WR) rSr/2025

WR Bru McCoy, Tennessee
News Source: Los Angeles Times
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08/26/21 - Cade Mays, rSr/2022, Tennessee, 6-5, 311 (DS#24 OT) + More +

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

(DS#24 OT) rSr/2022

OT Cade Mays, Tennessee
News Source: Knoxville News Sentinel
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08/20/21 - Cedric Tillman, rSr/2023, Tennessee, 6-3, 213 (DS#7 WR) + More +

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

(DS#7 WR) rSr/2023

WR Cedric Tillman, Tennessee
News Source: Knoxville News Sentinel
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08/17/21 - JaVonta Payton, rSr/2022, Tennessee, 6-0, 175 (DS#78 WR) + More +

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

(DS#78 WR) rSr/2022

WR JaVonta Payton, Tennessee
News Source: Chattanooga Times Free Press
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08/06/21 - Joe Milton III, rSr/2024, Tennessee, 6-5, 235 (DS#9 QB) + More +

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

(DS#9 QB) rSr/2024

QB Joe Milton III, Tennessee
News Source: Knoxville News Sentinel
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08/05/21 - Bru McCoy, rSr/2025, Tennessee, 6-3, 209 (DS#20 WR) + More +

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

(DS#20 WR) rSr/2025

WR Bru McCoy, Tennessee
News Source: Orange County Register
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08/03/21 - Bru McCoy, rSr/2025, Tennessee, 6-3, 209 (DS#20 WR) + More +

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

(DS#20 WR) rSr/2025

WR Bru McCoy, Tennessee
News Source: Los Angeles Times
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08/02/21 - Austin Pope, rSr/2022, Tennessee, 6-4, 235 (DS#999 TE) + More +

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

(DS#999 TE) rSr/2022

TE Austin Pope, Tennessee
News Source: Chattanooga Times Free Press
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07/15/21 - Velus Jones Jr., rSr/2022, Tennessee, 6-0, 204 (DS#29 WR) + More +

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

(DS#29 WR) rSr/2022

WR Velus Jones Jr., Tennessee
News Source: Knoxville News Sentinel
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06/26/21 - Greg Emerson, rJr/2023, Tennessee, 6-2, 300 (DS#999 DT) + More +

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

(DS#999 DT) rJr/2023

DT Greg Emerson, Tennessee
News Source: Knoxville News Sentinel
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06/24/21 - Aaron Beasley, rSr/2024, Tennessee, 6-1, 220 (DS#38 ILB) + More +

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

(DS#38 ILB) rSr/2024

ILB Aaron Beasley, Tennessee
News Source: Knoxville News Sentinel
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05/20/21 - William Mohan, rJr/2025, Tennessee, 6-1, 210 (DS#999 OLB) + More +

Tennessee football dipped into the transfer portal Thursday to add another linebacker. Michigan transfer William Mohan announced on Twitter he committed to Tennessee. "Starting over a new chapter in life, I want to thank everyone who helped me throughout this process. Thank you God & GO VOLS," Mohan wrote. Mohan is the second linebacker to transfer to UT, joining Texas transfer Juwan Mitchell. He is the seventh player to transfer to Tennessee since spring practice concluded on April 24.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Mohan played in one game and made one tackle for the Wolverines in 2020. Tennessee linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary was the Michigan linebackers coach last season. Mohan was a three-star prospect out of Brooklyn, New York. Tennessee's linebacker corps were depleted this offseason. Starters Henry To'o To'o and Quavaris Crouch entered the transfer portal. Crouch transferred to Michigan State. To'o To'o transferred to Alabama. - Knoxville News Sentinel

(DS#999 OLB) rJr/2025

OLB William Mohan, Tennessee
News Source: Knoxville News Sentinel
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05/07/21 - JaVonta Payton, rSr/2022, Tennessee, 6-0, 175 (DS#78 WR) + More +

JaVonta Payton is transferring to Tennessee football from Mississippi State, the former Bulldogs wide receiver announced on Twitter on Wednesday. "I was always meant to be home," wrote Payton, who is from Nashville. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Payton caught 19 passes for 225 yards and a touchdown in 2020. He had nine receptions for 147 yards in 2019. Payton appeared in 22 games with five starts at Mississippi State. He attended Hillsboro High before spending the first two years of his college career at Northwest Mississippi Community College. Tennessee offered Payton out of high school and junior college. - The Clarion Ledger

(DS#78 WR) rSr/2022

WR JaVonta Payton, Tennessee
News Source: The Clarion Ledger
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05/07/21 - LaTrell Bumphus, rSr/2023, Tennessee, 6-3, 277 (DS#47 DE) + More +

LaTrell Bumphus was arguably Tennessee's best defensive lineman last season before he suffered a knee injury during warmups at Arkansas on Nov. 7. Bumphus made 14 tackles in five games playing defensive end. Tennessee's defensive line was not a productive unit in 2020, when ex-Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt fired defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh after four games. Bumphus should be a staple of an experienced position and one of its better pass-rushing options. - Knoxville News Sentinel

(DS#47 DE) rSr/2023

DE LaTrell Bumphus, Tennessee
News Source: Knoxville News Sentinel
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05/03/21 - Martavius French, So/2024, Tennessee, 6-2, 240 (DS#999 ILB) + More +

Martavius French is no longer an answer for Tennessee's dwindling core of inside linebackers. The 6-foot-2, 240-pound redshirt freshman announced this weekend that he is entering the NCAA transfer portal. French and three early enrollees for the Volunteers - quarterback Kaidon Salter, defensive tackle Isaac Washington and inside linebacker Aaron Willis - were arrested in early March after an incident at Stokely Hall that yielded marijuana and drug paraphernalia possession charges. None of the four practiced this spring, and Washington entered the portal this past Thursday. French was a four-star signee out of Whitehaven High School in Memphis and was the nation's No. 17 inside linebacker prospect in the 2020 class, according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings. He did not play in any games last season. - Chattanooga Times Free Press

(DS#999 ILB) So/2024

ILB Martavius French, Tennessee
News Source: Chattanooga Times Free Press
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