Touchdown was a long time coming for fifth-year Vandal tight end

Idaho sophomore quarterback Gevani McCoy found graduate student tight end TJ Ivy Jr. alone in the middle of the field for what looked like a routine pitch and catch on the first play from scrimmage Saturday against Nevada at McKay Stadium.

The reception would be anything but ordinary, as Ivy would go for a 75-yard score, the first in the Chicago native’s five-year college career.

The play began with Ivy running a block-and-release route into the middle of the field, which left him open at Idaho’s 30-yard line.

The 6-foot-5 tight end made the catch and used his long strides to hit the sidelines and reach midfield. Once he broke the 50, freshman running back Anthony Woods was able to escort him into the end zone.

Woods' initial block on linebacker Stone Combs laid the groundwork for the runner to take an angle on the final Nevada defender standing between Ivy and his first collegiate touchdown.

“I kind of had it in my mind that I was going to score,” Ivy said. “It was a long time coming with where I am in my football career.”

The fifth-year player had struggled up to this point as a receiving threat, transferring to Idaho with a total of five receptions for 53 yards.

He started his college football journey at Indiana, being used primarily as a blocker in goal line situations. During his sophomore year, Ivy suffered a season-ending injury.

Following Ivy’s sophomore year, he entered the transfer portal, landing at Coastal Carolina, where he played from 2021-2022.

While a Chanticleer, Ivy spent most of his time in the shadows of tight end Isaiah Likely, who was a fourth-round selection by the Baltimore Ravens in 2022. But while at Coastal, Ivy was able to decide what direction he wanted to take his football career.

“That’s kind of why my path brought me out to the Vandals,” Ivy said. “I want to be the feature guy, to be able to catch the ball and make a difference in the run game as well.”

Ivy’s path down the Football Championship Subdivision has been a humbling one, to say the least, as he had 26 different Division I offers to play tight end coming out of Marist High School.

In his senior season with the Redhawks, Ivy had 57 receptions for 936 yards and 13 touchdowns while earning all-state honors.

Fast forward to Ivy’s senior year at Coastal Carolina, and he hadn’t come close to demonstrating that type of dominance as a pass catcher. Despite the lack of production, Ivy was originally going to stick it out and play his final season with the Chanticleers, but the departure of headman Jamey Chadwell forced his hand.

“I knew that if I wanted to control my destiny, I had to put myself around coaches who really wanted to help me get to the next level,” Ivy said. “It’s not a knock on anyone else; it’s just that I didn’t feel like Coastal was going to be the place for me anymore with coach Chadwell and everyone else departing.”

While in the transfer portal, several FCS teams reached out to Ivy with offers, including Towson, Northern Arizona, Mercer and Mississippi Valley. But it was Idaho that would end up landing Ivy by laying out in detail how they intended to use him.

“They know what it takes to get to that level,” Ivy said of coaches Jason Eck and Tyler Sutton. “It basically came down to coach Eck talking to me and basically saying, “Do you want to enjoy your last year and kind of ride it out, or do you want to try and put yourself in a position to play at the next level?”

When Ivy first stepped onto the Moscow-based campus, it was a bit of a culture shock, coming from the big city. But the small-town feel has allowed him to focus on himself.

“My main goal is just focusing, and I think Idaho is the perfect place for me to do that,” Ivy said. “It’s a small town, and people care about the program; people care about the Vandals. You’re going to get noticed around here, and you’re going to be held to a higher standard.”

After Ivy’s career day, he’s just taking it one day at a time on a long road to get to where he wants to be.

“The focus I have right now is on the season,” Ivy said. “That starts with coming to practice every day and putting in the work so we can be where we need to be at the end of the season and try to win a Big Sky championship.”

Pixley may be contacted at (208) 848-2290, tpixley@lmtribune.com or on Twitter @TreebTalks