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Tennessee football: Trey Smith No. 16 ranked player nationally by ESPN

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 20: LaBryan Ray #89 of the Alabama Crimson Tide battles with Offensive lineman Trey Smith #73 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the first half of the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on October 20, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Alabama won 58-21. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 20: LaBryan Ray #89 of the Alabama Crimson Tide battles with Offensive lineman Trey Smith #73 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the first half of the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on October 20, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Alabama won 58-21. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /
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The Tennessee football Volunteers offensive lineman is this outlet’s top-ranked guard.

He was already projected to be a first-round NFL Draft pick by most services, and he’s a first-team preseason All-American. However, there is still some debate on where Tennessee football senior Trey Smith ranks among offensive linemen entering 2020.

Well, it appears one outlet has the answer. ESPN’s list of top 50 players for 2020 had Smith as the nation’s No. 16 overall player, No. 2 lineman and No. 1 interior blocker. This list even included players who are part of programs that have postponed fall sports.

Oregon Ducks left tackle Penei Sewell is the only lineman ahead of Smith, but he plays left tackle. Although Smith has played left tackle in the past and is listed as a tackle by ESPN, he is firmly a guard. Nobody who will play guard this year is listed ahead of him. Here’s what the network said about the Tennessee football star.

"You can play the what-if game if you want, wondering how much better Smith would be if blood clots hadn’t caused him to miss so much time throughout his career, buy you’re missing the point. Despite a potentially career-threatening condition, he has proved to be one of the best interior lineman in the country after not allowing a single sack last season."

Obviously, the what-could-have-been scenario and the root cause of it has both hurt Smith’s stock in the NFL Draft and his place in these rankings. As a result, it’s remarkable that he still managed to be a top 20 player and so highly-ranked among these guys.

When he has played and been in rhythm, however, the 6’6″ 330-pound product of University School of Jackson in Jackson, Tenn. has been incredible. Last year, not allowing a sack en route to his second first-team All-SEC season while playing guard. The first came his true freshman year.

As a sophomore, Smith played left tackle and clearly showed he could have been All-SEC there before the blood clots shortened his season. If not for those, he might be generating the same hype as, or even more hype than Sewell.

Next. Vols all-time depth chart under Johnny Majors. dark

What’s becoming more clear by the day, though, is that Smith’s decision to return for his senior season could help both him and Tennessee football, as his stock has risen through the roof since. The fact that he put on five pounds in the offseason is only likely to help his national profile.

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