OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI - Redshirt freshman offensive lineman James McCoy has been released from his scholarship at the University of Mississippi, says head coach David Cutcliffe. <br>
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Cutcliffe said Friday that the 6-foot-3, 325-pound McCoy did not report to the team with other players on Sunday and did not attend the start of preseason practice a day later. <br>
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``James McCoy has made the decision to leave the squad and not return to school this fall,'' Cutcliffe said in a statement released by the school. <br>
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Cutcliffe did not reveal the circumstances surrounding McCoy's departure. <br>
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Cassoundra McCoy declined Friday to say why her son was leaving Ole Miss. <br>
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McCoy, who played at prep football at Moss Point, was moved from left tackle to left guard after redshirting last season. <br>
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Gulf Coast Community College coach Bill Lee said he has been contacted by McCoy, but declined to comment further on the lineman's status with the team. <br>
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McCoy is the third freshman to leave Ole Miss in the past year. <br>
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Defensive lineman Chris Herring, a former South Panola standout, and New Albany's Jay Kirkland, an offensive lineman, left last season for undisclosed reasons.
