Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy announced Wednesday that he will enter the 2026 NFL Draft. McCoy is a potential top-10 pick in this draft class, despite having missed the entire 2025 season with a knee injury.

A transfer from Oregon State following the 2023 season, McCoy earned first-team All-SEC and second-team All-America honors following his first season at Tennessee, in which he registered four interceptions, nine pass breakups and 44 tackles. However, McCoy suffered an ACL injury in January and did not take the field during the Volunteers’ regular season.

“(E)ven though my time on the field was cut short,” McCoy wrote in a statement shared on social media, “I will forever be grateful for my time here at the University of Tennessee. It has been a true honor, and I’m appreciative for every moment I had in the orange and white.”

McCoy (6 feet, 195 pounds) will be one of the most closely scrutinized prospects during the pre-draft cycle, as interested teams wait to see what his updated medical reports reveal.

The junior ranked No. 9 (and as the No. 1 cornerback) on Dane Brugler’s most recent draft board. He was the 16th pick, by Dallas, in Brugler’s mock draft last week.

Dane Brugler’s immediate reaction

A prospect carrying first-round tape from 2024 but no tape from 2025 is not ideal. That said, McCoy will be more than a year removed from his ACL injury when NFL team doctors examine his knee at the combine in February 2026, to (hopefully) verify full health and no long-term concerns.

The timing of his injury could turn out to be something of a positive, because McCoy should be able to work out and test at some point before the draft, giving him a chance to remind teams why he was considered a potential top-10 pick after last season.

LSU’s Mansoor Delane closed ground with his senior season — he’s made a strong case to be CB1 in this class. But McCoy is very much still in that conversation, assuming the medicals come back clean.

HOW DID HE COME UP WITH THIS? 😲

Tennessee shuts down Vandy in the end zone ❌ pic.twitter.com/aUHZeAWC8i

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) November 30, 2024

Advertisement

Nick Baumgardner’s scouting report

McCoy was in a really tough spot. A case certainly could’ve been made for McCoy to return to college next year, as he’s played only one full season as a starter in the SEC. And though his 2024 season was pretty great, that performance and 400 or so snaps at Oregon State are all we have to go on here.

Physically, though, McCoy is everything you look for in a high-first-round cornerback. He’s big with very quick feet, natural instincts and terrific ball skills in coverage. Despite not playing a snap this season, McCoy still stacks up as an easy first-rounder on this year’s board, largely because of his physical potential.

Testing will be critical here, and I’m eager to see if McCoy is healthy enough to compete in either the Senior Bowl or Shrine Bowl. He should do as much as he can. We saw a talented player in a similar situation last year when now-Cardinals rookie corner Will Johnson tumbled down the board after not testing or taking part in anything physical during the pre-draft process.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – In-N-Out Burger will open its first two Tennessee locations Wednesday morning in Antioch and Lebanon, with a third location opening Friday in Murfreesboro as the California chain expands into Middle Tennessee.

Both Wednesday locations will open at 10 a.m., with officials expecting crowds large enough to back up traffic onto I-40. The restaurants each have one drive-thru lane and about 100 seats for customers.

In-N-Out’s first Tennessee locations to open in December

Lebanon officials expect the opening to make In-N-Out a regional destination instead of just a local restaurant. People from across the state and as far away as Mississippi and Arkansas have said they’re making the drive to try a Double-Double burger and Animal Style fries.

Sarah Haston, Lebanon Economic and Community Development Director, said the excitement has been palpable among local officials as the opening approaches.

“We are thrilled,” Haston said. “We take so much pride in being one of the first to open. This is a good time for Lebanon and we are expecting to shine through it.”

In-N-Out has purchased extra land near both locations to accommodate long lines of cars waiting in line. The Lebanon lot has space for 806 cars and includes bathrooms for people waiting.

The restaurant has hired a private traffic management company that will use large signs and personnel to direct traffic flow. In-N-Out has been working with police on traffic plans for the past four months.

“We feel like we have really put a lot of effort into it,” Haston said. “Kudos to In-N-Out and their team. They’ve really put a lot of thought into it, and they have people that are trained for this. People that are specific to opening locations.”

The Lebanon location sits close to the I-40 interchange, raising concerns about traffic backing up onto the highway. Haston said they’ve added more turn lanes, traffic lights and other measures to mitigate the issue.

For drivers trying to avoid the congestion, Haston recommended using different entry and exit ramps for the highway and taking routes that avoid the South Hartmann Drive area.

Officials expect the busy area around the Lebanon location to remain congested for several weeks after opening. For customers willing to wait to try In-N-Out, officials suggest visiting after the initial crowds subside in a couple of weeks.

Copyright 2025 WSMV. All rights reserved.