Tennessee Football corner Jermod McCoy is the 13th-best player in college football this season, according to a ranking of the top 50 players from Pro Football Focus. McCoy is the only representative of the Vols on the list.
So far PFF has released players ranked No. 11 to No. 50, with Florida center Jake Slaughter at No. 11 and Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams at No. 12, just ahead of McCoy.
“McCoy locked down his foes in coverage in 2024 after transferring in from Oregon State,” PFF’s Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick wrote. “His 89.6 PFF coverage grade ranks second among returning Power Four cornerbacks, and his four interceptions tied for second.”
“McCoy has great ball skills with phenomenal movement ability, scoring a near-perfect 99.9 in PFF Game Athleticism Score. He, unfortunately, suffered a torn ACL in January but will hopefully be back at some point this season.”
‘McCoy was a lockdown player for the Volunteers’
PFF in May ranked McCoy as the No. 2 cornerback in college football this season, behind only Notre Dame’s Leonard Moore.
“The current favorite to be the top corner selected in the 2026 NFL Draft,” Chadwick and Trevor Sikkema wrote. “McCoy was a lockdown player for the Volunteers.”
McCoy tore his ACL during offseason training in January and did not go through spring practice with the Vols. His breakout season at Tennessee in 2024 included 44 tackles and nine passes defended to go with the four interceptions, which he returned for 71 yards.
He had 31 tackles and two interceptions in 12 games as a freshman at Oregon State before transferring to Tennessee.
Jermod McCoy projected as a first-round pick in 2026 NFL Draft
McCoy is widely projected to be a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, including mock drafts from The Athletic, USA Today, Todd McShay, ESPN and CBS Sports.
The Athletic projected him the highest at No. 11 overall to the Miami Dolphins while CBS Sports had the lowest projection, at No. 20 to the Los Angeles Chargers.
“His ball instincts consistently stood out when I studied Tennessee’s defense last season,” The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote.
McCoy is “an active, physical corner,” ESPN’s Jordan Reid added. “He exhibits great awareness and has a quick read on routes run in his coverage. He had four interceptions and eight pass breakups last season, so the ball skills are there, too. McCoy could be CB1 next year if his game continues to ascend.”
