Sporting News: Two Tennessee football OL preseason All-Americans

Trey Smith and Cade Mays were the Tennessee football Volunteers offensive linemen.

From having a historically bad offensive line in 2018 to one that had to improve to just being mediocre in 2019, the hype behind Tennessee football blockers heading into 2020 continues to grow. Another story just illustrated just how great the hype is.

Bill Bender of Sporting News released the outlet’s preseason All-American team for 2020 Thursday, and two Vols offensive linemen made the list. Senior guard Trey Smith was a first-teamer, and transfer junior Cade Mays was a second-teamer.

Mays, who came from the Georgia Bulldogs, expects to receive an eligibility waiver to play this year. Smith shocked the world by choosing to return for his senior season earlier this year. Here’s a bit of what Bender wrote about Smith as a first-teamer.

It is true that Tennessee football has a shockingly deep offensive line this year. In his three years on Rocky Top, Smith has started two full seasons at guard. Both times, he earned First-team All-SEC, and he also was a Freshman All-American in 2017.

The one year Smith didn’t earn All-SEC, in 2018, he moved over to left tackle while adjusting to the pro-style offense that Jeremy Pruitt brought in. However, he still likely would have earned such honors if his season was not cut short due to the blood clots in his lungs.

Simply put, Smith provides an insane level of talent and versatility that very few linemen across the country provide. This will be the first time since he arrived on Rocky Top that he takes over the same position the same system for a second straight year. As a result, the potential is through the roof for the 6’6″ 335-pound Jackson, Tenn. native.

UT added Mays as a transfer earlier this year. It’s still up in the air if he’s going to receive the waiver to be able to play, but Sporting News is obviously betting on that. The 6’6″ 328-pound Knoxville native is similar to Smith in that he will likely start at guard but could play any position up front at a high level.

More from Vols Football

• How to Win a GUARANTEED $200 Bonus Betting Just $5 on the Vols vs. Florida!
• Tennessee Football at Florida: Five Keys to a Vols Victory
• Week 3 SEC Power Rankings: Did Tennessee Football’s Win Help At All?
• Week 3 AP Polls: Why Did Tennessee Football Drop in the Polls?
• Tennessee Football: Top Five Performers in 30-13 Win vs. Austin Peay

Back in 2017, Mays was a five-star who had initially committed to the Vols. He is a legacy player, the son of offensive lineman Kevin Mays, who played for Phillip Fulmer in the early 1990s. However, the disastrous season under Butch Jones led to him decommitting and going to Georgia.

Pruitt secured Mays’ younger brother, though, four-star center Cooper Mays, in his 2020 class. That combined with a personal incident regarding Kevin Mays and the University of Georgia led to Cade Mays deciding to transfer back to Tennessee football, where he is now seeking an eligibility waiver to play for 2020.

If Mays gets that waiver, UT will have three offensive linemen who were freshman All-American. Mays earned that after starting in 11 games back in 2018. Meanwhile, left tackle Wanya Morris just earned it for 2019.

Combine center Brandon Kennedy earning a sixth year of eligibility and Darnell Wright entering his sophomore season at right tackle, and it’s clear how loaded Tennessee football is up front. That’s more true with Riley Locklear, Jahmir Johnson, Jerome Carvin and K’Rojhn Calbert in the rotation. Mays and Smith, though, are the standout stars, and this All-American team further proves that.