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    • Injury to Bru McCoy, Squirrel White, Bryson Eason: Tennessee vs. Florida
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    Injury to Bru McCoy, Squirrel White, Bryson Eason: Tennessee vs. Florida

    Eira Gwyneth Posted on

    Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel had relatively good news about injuries to wide receivers Bru McCoy and Squirrel White and defensive lineman Bryson Eason.

    But their status for this weekend’s game against Florida is uncertain.

    “None of the injuries are long-term, season-ending injuries,” Heupel said at his weekly press conference on Monday.

    Heupel added that details on their status will be announced Wednesday when the SEC student-athlete availability report is released.

    No. 9 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 SEC) plays Florida (3-2, 1-1) at Neyland Stadium on Saturday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).

    All three players opted out of UT’s 19-14 loss to Arkansas last week.

    McCoy appeared to suffer a hand injury in the third quarter. At the end of the game he had a wrap or cast on his hand.

    White appeared to suffer an upper-body injury in the fourth quarter. At the end of the game he wore a sling over his shoulder.

    Eason was helped off the field after apparently suffering a leg injury.

    Here’s why these injuries matter in Tennessee compared to Florida

    Eason has been a two-year starter at defensive tackle. McCoy and White are UT’s most experienced receivers.

    McCoy is a three-year starter with 14 receptions for 209 yards this season. He has caught at least one pass in 28 consecutive games dating back to his time at Southern Cal. However, he missed the final eight games of the 2023 season after suffering an ankle injury.

    White is a two-year starter with 15 receptions for 159 yards this season.

    UT coaches believe this is their strongest receiving corps in Heupel’s four-year tenure. That depth could be tested if McCoy and White are out or limited.

    Dont’e Thornton, Tulane transfer Chris Brazzell, Chas Nimrod, Kaleb Webb and freshman Mike Matthews could be asked to fill the void.

    Thornton was UT’s most productive receiver, especially as a big-play threat. He has eight receptions for 284 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 35.5 yards per catch. Brazzell has 13 receptions for 161 yards and a touchdown.

    Additionally, expect the Vols to lean on tight ends Miles Kitselman, Holden Staes and Ethan Davis in the passing game.

    Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. e-mail [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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    Eira Gwyneth
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