Tennessee guard No. 73 Trey Smith looks on after the Vols’ 42-41, double-overtime win against the Yellow Jackets on Sept. 4 in Mercedez-Benz Stadium. Nick Davis/FOX Sports Knoxville
According to a report by VolQuest’s Austin Price and Brent Hubbs, Trey Smith will miss spring practice due to a medical issue. The loss of Smith for any period of time is a blow; however, there is some good news — Smith is expected back in time for the 2018 season.
The Read Optional’s Trey Wallace gives a little more information below.
Tennessee OL & 2017 Freshman All-American Trey Smith will miss spring practice as he deals with a medical issue that was first discovered after symptoms arose during a recent workout. While he hopes to return for fall camp, it will depend on continued medical testing.
— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) February 25, 2018
If there was one thing first-year coach Jeremy Pruitt couldn’t afford in his first year as the program transitioned from the Butch Jones era, it was an injury to arguably the best player on the team. Even for a limited amount of time.
Smith was named an FWAA Freshman All-American last season. He was named No. 1 freshman offensive lineman by PFF College and the No. 7 freshman overall for his impressive play. From the first day he stepped on campus, he made an impact on the offensive line, where he eventually moved to a starter at guard.
The 6-foot-6, 320-pound Tennessee native was rated as a five-star prospect out of high school and was the state’s No. 1 overall player in the 2017 class, according to 247Sports.com.
Vol fans are all too familiar with the injury bug in Knoxville. In the past two seasons, Tennessee has seen a slew of injuries to essential players on the team, especially on the offensive line. Smith became the first Tennessee true freshman to start at left tackle in at least 30 years and was the most consistently healthy offensive linemen the Vols had last year.
