Tennessee football: 10 Vols with injury concerns for 2019
Right now, Trey Smith is more of a guy whose return to Tennessee football would be a major boost more than his injury is a loss. But there is still hope that he will return, as he is needed to help the line take a step forward.
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The Vols were historically bad anyway last year on the line, but Smith suffering the blood clots to miss the rest of the season just as they were coming together only further set them back. UT really needs him to return.
If Smith can come back, though, he’ll still have those concerns. After all, he missed all of spring ball in 2018 and 2019 due to the issue before missing the end of the 2018 season. So the concern is not going away.
Combining that with the fact that he’s UT’s best offensive lineman by far, and him not playing due to the blood clots is as worrisome as him returning would be joyous. Jeremy Pruitt clearly desperately wants Smith back, and Smith is giving Rocky Top some hope by taking part in some of the drills, even during the spring.
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However, not having him back at tackle could be disastrous for Tennessee football. The retirement of Chance Hall and transfer of Drew Richmond have them thin there this year, even with the elite 2018 class that included five-star Darnel Wright. So Smith being able to return is almost a necessity, and those issues put Smith at the top of the list when it comes to injury concerns.