Tennessee Football cornerback Jermod McCoy was listed as out and running back DeSean Bishop was listed as probable on the SEC Injury Report Wednesday night. McCoy has been out since tearing his ACL in January and Bishop left the 34-31 win over Arkansas Saturday night with what appeared to be a right leg injury.
Redshirt freshman wide receiver Braylon Staley also left the Arkansas game in the second half with what appeared to be an injury, but he was not listed on the injury report.
No. 11 Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC) goes to No. 6 Alabama (5-1, 3-0) Saturday night (7:30 p.m. Eastern Time, ABC) at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. The Vols will update the injury report Thursday night, Friday night, then one final time roughly 90 minutes before Saturday night’s game.
Tennessee Football Availability Report vs. Alabama
Josh Heupel: ‘Feel like DeSean will be ready to go’
Bishop appeared to injure his right leg after a 26-yard run in the third quarter Saturday night against Arkansas, leaving the game with 146 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. He left the field under his own power and didn’t have a noticeable limp while returning to the Tennessee bench.
Josh Heupel said after the game Saturday night that he wasn’t concerned with the status of Bishop — “I don’t think it’s a long-term deal at all,” he said during his postgame press conference — then updated the situation again on during his weekly press conference on Monday.
“Feel like DeSean will be ready to go in this one,” Heupel said of the Alabama game.
Bishop is Tennessee’s leading rusher this season with 481 yards and six touchdowns on 63 carries. Star Thomas has 62 attempts for 328 yards and four touchdowns. Sophomore Peyton Lewis has 43 rushes for 200 yards and five touchdowns, including two he scored against Arkansas after Bishop left the game.
Staley led the Vols against Arkansas with six receptions for 109 yards, with a long of 42. Heupel also addressed his status after Saturday’s win.
“Braylon, he was celebrating, having fun in the locker room,” Heupel said, “so I anticipate he can be ready to go (at Alabama).”
What Josh Heupel said this week about Jermod McCoy
Heupel updated the uncertain timeline for Jermod McCoy early last week. He suffered a torn ACL during offseason training in January but has yet to make his debut this season
“Jermod continues to do a great job in his rehab with our medical staff, our strength staff,” Heupel said on October 7. “Somebody told me there was a report out there of a certain ball game that he’s focused in on as far as returning.
“I think that’s unfair. Whoever put that out there, I don’t think truly understands Jermod and the situation. He’s done a really good job. He’s got more to go.”
Tennessee corner Rickey Gibson III has also been out since suffering an upper-body injury in the first half against Syracuse, with Colorado transfer Colton Hood and freshman Ty Redmond replacing Gibson and McCoy at corner.
McCoy returned to the practice field to do individual work during fall camp, but as of Monday had yet to take part in team activities in practice.
“I think it’s all about him being prepared to go play,” Heupel said last week. “There’s a lot of things that go into that. You look at the position he plays, all the reactionary work that you have to have in so you’re always balancing his ability to be prepared and short-term, long-term health as well.”