Tennessee injury updates vs. Ohio State: Squirrel White, Bru McCoy

Tennessee football is suddenly thin on wide receivers ahead of its College Football Playoff game against Ohio State, and that was evident during an open practice Tuesday.

Starting receivers Bru McCoy, Donte Thornton and Squirrel White wore non-contact red jerseys as they recovered from injuries that kept them out of the Vanderbilt game on Nov. 30.

Coach Josh Heupel was optimistic but vague about the chances of playing Ohio State.

“Every football team in this league is going to collapse,” Heupel said. “Since we still have a few weeks to heal, I feel like we’ll all be ready to go when we get up there.”

Tennessee (10-2) will face Ohio State (10-2) in a first-round game on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN) in Columbus, Ohio.

Reserve receivers Kaleb Webb, Chas Nimrod, Nathan Leacock and Nate Spillman entered the transfer portal. They are no longer on the team and Heupel said they will not be available to participate in the CFP.

Their departures nearly halved the number of receiving players from ten scholarship players during the regular season to six in the postseason. Sophomore Chris Brazzell, freshman Mike Matthews and freshman Braylon Staley round out the group.

Talent gap between Tennessee and OhioExplain this College Football Playoff matchup

Injury updates on Squirrel White, Bru McCoy and Dont’e Thornton

As far as injuries go, things could have been worse for UT’s receiving corps.

Against Vanderbilt, McCoy suffered a lower-body injury during warmups and did not play. Thornton suffered an upper body injury. And White had his left arm in a sling after the game.

During practice on Tuesday, White wore a flexible brace on his left arm. But he still went through drills and caught passes. Thornton appeared to be almost at full strength. McCoy did mostly agility drills on the sidelines of the practice field.

Nine players in the portal. Here’s who Tennessee might be missing

Nine UT Scholars have entered the portal, which is open through Dec. 28. For teams playing in the CFP or a bowl after this date, the portal will be extended for five additional days after their last game.

In addition to the four receivers, offensive lineman Vysen Lang, running back Cam Seldon, running back Khalifa Keith, linebacker Jalen Smith and cornerback Jordan Matthews are also represented in the portal.

Smith might be the biggest loss to the Ohio State game. According to Pro Football Focus, he averaged 21.3 defensive snaps per game in the linebacker rotation.

Top 2025 Vols signees David Sanders and George MacIntyre complete workouts

Several freshmen from the 2025 signing class are already on campus and have participated in the practice.

You are not eligible to participate in the CFP, but you can train. Some served as Boy Scout team members and wore black jerseys.

Five-star signee David Sanders, the No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2025 class, wore a white jersey with the number 70. He stands 6-foot-10 and weighs 285 pounds, which fits well with UT’s experienced offensive linemen . He only completed warm-ups and individual drills during sessions open to the media.

And four-star quarterback George MacIntyre, wearing red jersey No. 18, threw passes alongside Nico Iamaleava, Gaston Moore, Jake Merklinger and Navy Shuler. Walk-on quarterback Ryan Damron entered the portal.

Practice began indoors, but the team spent most of the practice on the outfield. It was 58 degrees, which doesn’t help the Vols prepare for the frigid temperatures at Ohio State.

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