Unfortunate news came out this morning about the status of one of Tennessee’s best players on the football team. Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt announced Thursday that sophomore offensive tackle Trey Smith will be out indefinitely after physicians rediscovered blood clots in his lungs on Wednesday.
This isn’t the first time the Tennessee native has dealt with health issues. He was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs back in February and underwent treatment for sixth months, missing all of UT’s spring practices and was very limited for the summer conditioning program and at the start of fall camp.
Smith started all 12 games as a true freshman last year for Tennessee and was viewed by many as one of the best lineman in the SEC. He was the highest-rated offensive freshman in the SEC according to Pro Football Focus, and he was named a Freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America. In the preseason, he collected first team All-SEC honors, and he has been an anchor on an inexperienced offensive line this year.
“The most important thing is for Trey to be able to get healthy,” Pruitt said in a released statement. “He has been an outstanding student-athlete during my time here on and off the field. Our sole focus for Trey is on his recovery. We are thankful that our medical staff discovered this and is getting him the proper treatment.”
His loss is a big blow to a football team trying to make a bowl game in Pruitt’s first year. The Vols have several options for replacements, and there will likely be plenty of rotation on the line Saturday. Smith will continue to receive care under the guidance of the University of Tennessee team physicians, and he is expected to make a full recovery.
Smith is out indefinitely from playing football, and we will update as more information is made available.
