Tennessee football takeaways: Bru McCoy returns, 5-star Jordan Ross debuts, Vols injury updates as practice begins

Bru McCoy is back for Tennessee football but not quite in the lineup yet.

The Vols opened preseason practice on Wednesday. McCoy was in full uniform and went through warm-ups, but he didn’t run receiver routes.

That’s not surprising.

McCoy is returning from a gruesome season-ending ankle injury he suffered on Sept. 30, 2023. And UT wants him to get back into the mix slowly.

McCoy was in the wide receiver lines, but he didn’t run routes or catch passes during the periods open to media. Instead, he coached Dont’e Thornton before and after every route his teammate ran.

GET TO KNOW NICO IAMALEAVA What Tennessee QB reveals about his autograph, 'College Football 25'

Thornton moved from slot receiver to the outside late last season before suffering his own season-ending leg injury. If McCoy is slow to return, Thornton is his likely replacement.

But expect McCoy’s participation to increase through preseason as he gains strength and confidence in his ankle.

McCoy underwent four surgeries and spent 10 days in the hospital to repair a fracture-dislocation of his right ankle. He has rehabbed vigorously for the past 10 months to return to the lineup, drawing praise from coaches and teammates.

“The training staff was actually saying, ‘Hey, bro, we got to pull you back a little bit,’” offensive coordinator Joey Halzle said. “Like he’s pushing it over and over and over to try to get there as quickly as possible.”

Five-star Jordan Ross looks the part

Freshman Jordan Ross made his practice debut after enrolling in June.

The 6-foot-5, 245-pounder was arguably the No. 1 edge rusher in the 2024 class. And he looks far more developed than most freshman defensive linemen.

Ross is long, lean and athletic. But despite his talent and upside, he was near the back of the line during drills.

That speaks to UT’s depth on the defensive line. Projected first-round draft pick James Pearce, Joshua Josephs and Caleb Herring make up a talented trio ahead of Ross at edge rusher.

Ross was among nine scholarship freshmen participating in their first practice. The rest were early enrollees who participated in spring practice.

Injury update on Peyton Lewis, Cam Seldon

UT ended spring practice with two injured running backs, but only one wore a no-contact red jersey on Wednesday.

Freshman Peyton Lewis went through drills at full speed and showed the explosion that excited the Vols when he signed last December. He was limited in the spring after undergoing shoulder surgery.

In preseason, Lewis must learn the playbook, adjust to the offensive tempo and work on pass protection to make an early impact for the Vols.

Sophomore Cam Seldon wore a red jersey in the first practice. He injured his shoulder in spring practice and underwent surgery. He could return somewhere around the start of the season, but that timetable is uncertain.

Coach Josh Heupel said Seldon’s participation “will increase from the beginning to the end of training camp and (we) hope to have him healthy early in the season.”

Seldon and Lewis are needed as backups to Dylan Sampson. Redshirt freshman DeSean Bishop and sophomore Khalifa Keith are the other possibilities in that role.

Bishop, a former Karns standout, missed the 2023 season due to injury.

Arion Carter is ready to go

Linebacker Arion Carter didn’t show any problems from the injured shoulder that ended his 2023 season.

He displayed speed and explosion while hitting the blocking sled with his shoulder during drills.

Carter, a former Smyrna standout, had a solid freshman season with 17 tackles in eight games. But his role should increase in 2024 as he competes for a starting spot at weakside linebacker.

Carter has been eager to impress new linebackers coach William Inge, who was hired in the spring from Washington’s NCAA runner-up team.

Wide receivers were hit or miss

Wide receivers were a little shaky to start the first practice. They dropped several passes, especially on short and intermediate throws from starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

However, Squirrel White was the exception. He was smooth in his routes and caught every dart thrown to him.

White returns as the starter at slot receiver after leading the team with 67 catches for 803 yards in 2023.

McCoy, Thornton, Tulane transfer Chris Brazzell, Kaleb Webb, Chas Nimrod, Mike Matthews, Braylon Staley and others could be in the mix at wide receiver.

Matthews, the five-star freshman, was in uniform. But he did not wear a helmet or run routes during the periods open to media.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com . X, formerly known as Twitter @AdamSparks . Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe .

Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football takeaways: Bru McCoy returns, 5-star Jordan Ross debuts, Vols injury updates as practice begins