Bru McCoy, the 5-star freshman wide receiver who has been inactive going back to the early summer due to a lingering illness and fevers, was back on the practice field in a limited capacity for USC on Monday.

McCoy, the former Mater Dei High School standout and highest-ranked USC freshman, remains a long way off from making his true Trojans debut -- for multiple reasons -- and it's possible that doesn't come at all this fall.

"Doing good, that's why he was out here. It's good to get him back and just get him started again," USC coach Clay Helton said. "He's a long way off from being where you need to be, but it's so good to see him healthy, see him smiling, getting a little lather, getting strength and conditioning, just to have the opportunity to come out here and be around the guys. It was great to have him out here."

Helton was asked if that means the persistent fevers are gone for McCoy, and he gave an affirmative "Mmm hmm."

Sources told TrojanSports.com earlier this fall that USC had not finished filing the petition to the NCAA for an eligibility waiver for McCoy, who enrolled with the Trojans in January before transferring to Texas and then back again to USC in the summer.

Asked where things stood with the waiver process, Helton said, "Same status."

Asked if USC had filed the waiver yet, Helton again said only, "Same status." So it sounds like they haven't. But that's not imperative at this point. The belief is that USC would get a decision within three weeks or so if they do file it, and McCoy is well more than three weeks away from being any consideration to play this fall.

"He went through our warmups, was able to catch some balls, got in, got strength and conditioning, then comes back out and watch[es] the team," Helton said. "It's just the beginning. It's going to take a while to get him back."