Jeremy Pruitt confirmed on Friday afternoon that sophomore offensive lineman Trey Smith will miss spring practice due to an injury.
In a report published by Volquest, Pruitt went into more detail about Smith’s progress.
“Trey’s had some personal health issues,” Pruitt said. “Just getting some information, and there isn’t a whole lot of information yet, but we will know more going forward.”
But there is some good news regarding the star offensive tackle. Smith has been working out with the team over the past couple of days.
“Like Thursday, he was in there working out,” Pruitt added.
That’s a good sign for the Vols, who will only have seven scholarship offensive lineman during spring practice.
Smith was a bright spot in a record-low year for Tennessee’s offense last season. The freshman from Jackson, Tenn was named a Freshman All-American after starting all twelve games last year. He also became the first Vols freshman to start at left tackle in 30 years when he got the nod there against Southern Miss.
Without Smith, the Vols will be woefully thin at offensive line in the spring and don’t return a ton of experience either. Getting Smith back and healthy in the fall would be huge for Tennessee, but obviously Smith’s health comes first.
We’ll keep you updated on his status moving forward as the Vols open up spring practice in a little over a week.
