Tennessee football wide receiver Bru McCoy announced Jan. 2 that he’d return to the Vols for the 2024 season.

But he said he knew what he’d do three weeks earlier at the bedside of his dying grandfather.

“When he was in hospice care, the family was flown home (in California) and we’re all taking our turns taking care of him,” McCoy said on WNML 99.1 The Sports Animal on Wednesday.

“It was my turn to go in and say my peace. He had a Tennessee blanket draped over the bed. … But before he passed, he spoke so highly about Tennessee and my time here. It was like God made the decision for me and he placed it in front of me.”

McCoy suffered a gruesome ankle injury against South Carolina on Sept. 30. He underwent four surgeries and spent 10 days in the hospital to repair a fracture-dislocation of his right ankle.

It ended his 2023 season and presumably his UT career, if he opted to enter the 2024 NFL Draft.

Instead, McCoy will utilize his extra year of eligibility to play one more season with the Vols. He said his final visits with his grandfather, who died in December, sealed his decision.

“I didn’t decide for another three weeks after (his death),” McCoy said. “But I knew in my heart that this place is special to me. It’s home. It’s family. Just like I’m home with family now. So that was the day I decided.”

Bru McCoy expectations with Nico Iamaleava in 2024 season

McCoy had been rehabbing his ankle in California. He returned to Knoxville ahead of the spring semester and to attend an NIL event on Wednesday.

Notably, McCoy is no longer wearing a walking boot like he did late in the season.

“Rehab has gone great. No setbacks. Out of the boot. I wear shoes every day. I walk around normal. I can lift like a normal guy,” McCoy said. “Now I’m taking the step to become Bru McCoy the football player.

“My goal is to take this time that I have to rehab and make myself better. I don’t want to come back and be less of the player I was. I want to be better.”

That would be a bonus for the Vols, who celebrated McCoy’s decision to return.

Even at the Citrus Bowl, as McCoy was rehabbing in California, quarterback Nico Iamaleava said he was actively recruiting McCoy to play one more season.

McCoy is from Palos Verdes Estates, California. Iamaleava is from Long Beach, just a few miles away. They’ll be UT’s California connection in the 2024 season.

Where Bru McCoy fits as Vols retool receiving corps

McCoy is not expected to participate in spring practice. But he should be a big factor in the fall as UT revamps its receiving corps for Iamaleava’s first season as the starter.

McCoy, a 6-foot-3, 220-pounder, is a bruising and sure-handed receiver. He had 17 catches for 217 yards and one touchdown last season before his injury. In 2022, he had 52 receptions for 667 yards and four TDs.

Squirrel White will return at slot receiver. He led UT with 67 catches for 803 yards and two TDs last season.

Kaleb Webb and Chas Nimrod, who filled McCoy’s spot after his injury, will compete in the spring. And Oregon transfer Dont'e Thornton will return from a season-ending lower leg injury.

The new additions are Tulane transfer Chris Brazzell, five-star freshman Mike Matthews and four-star freshman Braylon Staley. All three are enrolled and set to compete in spring practice.

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.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Bru McCoy injury update, why he's returning to Tennessee football in 2024