The Walter Camp Football Foundation announced Tennessee offensive guard Trey Smith as a First Team Preseason All-American on Thursday, starting what will likely be an offseason full of accolades for the rising senior.
Smith enters his senior season as one of the best returning players in all of college football. Also on Thursday afternoon, SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic named Smith the top offensive guard in the SEC for the 2020 season. Cubelic also stated that Smith was the third-best offensive guard in all of college football on the Swain Event Tuesday morning.
The Jackson, TN native opted to return for his senior season on Rocky Top rather than enter the 2020 NFL Draft in an effort to obtain his degree and improve upon his draft stock.
Smith is coming off a great 2019 campaign. As a junior, he returned from blood clots in his lungs that sidelined him as a sophomore. He didn’t skip a beat as he anchored Tennessee’s improved offensive line to earn All-SEC First Team honors behind 12 starts in 13 games. Smith was named a finalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award following the season and was the winner of the inaugural Fritz Pollard Trophy, given to the collegiate player who has “exemplified extraordinary courage, community values, and exceptional performance on the field.”
The 6-foot-6, 335-pound offensive linemen signed with Tennessee as the No. 1 overall player in the country according to ESPN’s recruiting rankings in the 2017 class. Smith earned All-State honors from 2015-17 as a five-star at the University School in Jackson. He was also a two-time Tennessee Mr. Football winner.
As a true freshman, Smith started all 12 games for the Vols. He went on to earn All-SEC Second Team and SEC All-Freshman Team honors, in addition to Freshman All-American honors from several organizations. Smith became the first Vol true freshman to start at left tackle in over 30 years when did so against Southern Miss. He led the Vols with 55 knockdowns and finished as the SEC’s top-rated freshman offensive player (80.6) according to PFF College.
Walter Camp, considered the “Father of American Football,” first named an All-American team in 1889. The 2020 season will be the 131st edition of the team.
