Tennessee football: Top 10 players Vol have to face in 2020

Senior; Amite, La.

Last year, we would have had Jaylen Waddle up here and DeVonta Smith as an honorable mention if we had to choose between the two. However, Smith burst onto the scene in 2019, and even losing Tua Tagovailoa shouldn’t hurt him.

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The 6’1″ 175-pound graduate of Amite High School in Louisiana had 68 catches for 1,256 yards and 14 touchdowns. Regardless of the offensive coordinator, Nick Saban has always loved to have one clear go-to receiver with the major exception of last year, and Smith is that guy entering his senior year with the Tide. As a result, he’ll likely get a lot of looks.

Now, against the Vols, he did only have one reception for 18 yards. But if you think losing Tagovailoa will hurt Smith at all, he had four receptions for 67 yards against the Arkansas Razorbacks with Mac Jones throwing him the ball. He then had 94 yards and two touchdowns against the Western Carolina Catamounts.

When it came to good competition and Jones throwing him the ball, Smith had five receptions for 80 yards against the Auburn Tigers, and he had three receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown in the Citrus Bowl against the Michigan Wolverines. Simply put, he knows how to be productive regardless of his opponent and who is throwing him the ball.

Last year, Smith split reps with Henry Ruggs III and Jerry Jeudy. He’s likely to be a superstar this year, and Tennessee football will have to consistently account for him. As a result, the preseason All-American is easily the best player the Vols will face, and that’s why he tops the list.