ROLLING HILLS ESTATES, Calif. — As they sat in their living room last Friday, Horace and Shelby McCoy were well aware of what this week holds for their son.



They know when USC kicks off spring practice on Wednesday, all eyes will be on wide receiver and former five-star prospect Bru McCoy, who will be practicing in front of the media for the first time since he returned to the Trojans last June.



They know the questions about his transfer from USC to Texas and then back to USC within a four-month span last year will come whenever he is first permitted to speak to the media, whether that’s this spring or in the fall. For most parents, the thought of watching their child defend such a controversial decision so publicly may be overwhelming.



Then again, if the McCoys made it through the past 15 months, through those two transfers and the widespread criticism that came each time, through the mysterious illness that put Bru in the hospital and sidelined...