Nation's top recruit, five-star OL Trey Smith commits to Tennessee
Tuesday was a good day for Butch Jones and his Tennessee football program.
After chasing in-state University School of Jackson five-star offensive lineman Trey Smith for years on the recruiting trail, along with Ole Miss, Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, Notre Dame and a host of other elite football programs, the 6-foot-6, 310-pound Smith finally donned the orange Tennessee cap during an ESPN nationally televised commitment ceremony at his high school.
So what was it that made Smith ultimately chose Tennessee?
“I’d say it’s the players, to a certain extent,” Smith said on ESPN. “A lot of guys in that O-Line room, we just have just a great relationship and the things Coach Jones has in place to be successful, not only in football, but in life after football, they are excellent. You can’t really turn them down. I’m just ecstatic about the city of Knoxville, it’s the right place for me.”
The Under Armour All-American is rated as the No. 1 overall prospect in the nation by ESPN while ranking as the No. 4 prospect by 247Sports. Smith is also a two-time recipient of the Mr. Tennessee football award – given annually to the state’s best player per division.
If you follow recruiting closely, you know all about last offseason’s circus of satellite camps spearheaded by Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. Well, Tennessee got in on the action in June, holding a linemen camp at Smith’s University School of Jackson school. Not only did the Tennessee staff come along but several notable NFL linemen who all went through Tennessee before making it in the pros took part in the camp, as well.
Despite all the effort and preparation put into the satellite camp to recruit one prospect, the move proved to pay dividends for Tennessee on Tuesday.
While landing the commitment of a five-star prospect is cause for celebration regardless of the circumstances around the program; this recruiting victory has to feel extra special for Tennessee head coach Butch Jones. Smith’s commitment proves that the nation’s elite continue to have faith in his Volunteer program, something that could have been in doubt had Smith committed to Ohio State or Alabama over his in-state program.
Smith closed his ceremony by offering up some hype for the Tennessee faithful pledging, “We’ll make Tennessee elite again.” If the huge lineman lives up to the incredibly hype, that’s much more likely today than it was yesterday.
Tennessee now has 24 commitments lined up in its 2017 recruiting class, with Smith becoming the third offensive lineman to pledge to the class. Smith plans to enroll in school early in January to participate in spring football and get a jump start on the 2017 season.
Want to see what all the hype is about? Check out some of Smith’s high school highlight tape:
He could be the greatest Vol lineman ever….or he could be the next Big Tiny. Hopefully injuries don’t kill him like they did with Richardson.
Good news, how refreshing for a change.
I don’t get excited until the papers are faxed in….he still has time to decommit….just saying…..I have seen it happen too many times.
He’s enrolling in Jan. It’s a done deal!
Good thing recruits have a much higher opinion of Butch and the state of the program, than a lot of our fanbase does.
With Richmond, Smith, and Mays, there will be 3 Five Stars competing for two tackle spots over the next few years. Move Debord to O-line coach and hire Helfrich immediately.
Future champion of life, and also delete your account, you lost.
I was wondering how long that would take.
Yea this little b*tch has nothing better to do than sit at his Gma’s house and wait for me to make a comment. Its really pathetic when you think about it.
@keno you are the b*tch that is too big a p*ssy to keep his word. You lost your bet you white trash pr*ck, now pay up, be a man for once in your life. If it takes me a minute a day to remind you what a loser you are, it’s a minute well spent.
And I’m sure the fact that Butch hired his sister last year to work in the recruiting department had absolutely nothing to do with his decision. Funny how they left that part out of the story.
Hey, it definitely helped. But its not against the rules, so kudos to Butch.
No it’s not. Apparently relocating a family and providing employment and housing is fine now too. I hate how recruiting has turned into the wild wild west, but everyone is doing it now.
Exactly. You are stupid if you don’t do it, because everyone else is.
To all the haters go back and read his reasoning again he basicly says he likes how jones helps them suceed in football and life. So the champions of life just got the number 1 ot because he wants to be a champion of life also.
Congratulations.
Enjoy Nashville.
I haven’t heard of any Vol fans actually drinking the Champs of Life Kool-Aid until I saw this post. I guess if you can’t get coach to shut up you eventually just have to embrace it.
With this boy and Khalil McKenzie, the D-Line will be unstoppable and U-T will have 4 Championships in the next 4 years boyyyy!! Book it!!!
It doesn’t hurt to dream
LOL…that didn’t take long. In June the Vols were the preseason champs of everything. Then the season happened. Now they are champs of everything in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 already.
We still beat the SEC East champions this year.
Dooley Noted is a troll user. 1. Trey Smith is an OFFESNSIVE tackle and will not play at DT. 2. No one and I mean no one has any aspirations of greatness in K-ville after this season. 3. It’s ok to rub it in just be smart about it.
hahaha gotta love Tennessee fans. “I don’t see how we do any worse than 10-2 and a trip to Atlanta this year”
i heard Ga fans saying “I think we’re gonna surprise some people”. 7-5 with a loss to georgia tech…shocking.
Butt hurt from butt chugging all the kool aid
1 five star, 4 four star and NINETEEN 3 stars in this recruiting class. Great pickup for what is still a garbage recruiting class. UT will finish with a class that ranks in the 15-20 range. Not good if you compare it to the past few classes.
Recruiting is not showing up in the win column for sure.
might as well just pack up the whole program and get rid of it, right?
Good catch Vols!
Thank you. I’ll be rootin’ for you guys in the Citrus Bowl.
There’s no way the No. 1 player in the country is an OL from Jackson, TN. Beat up on those slow fat whiteys!
Do you know where Jackson is? Right outside Memphis. That should tell you a lot about the demographics of the area.
Oh yea!! The best B-B-Q places in the whole wide world!! Can I get a witness??? (I guess that’s why the OL’s are so big.)
While in Jackson, eat at Reggies. It’s a small trailer off an I-40 exit, but man alive is the B-B-Q gooo-OULD!
Reggie’s actually has a brick and mortar place across the interstate. They put the trailer up so the truckers could get some good Q too. No place for them to park at the restaurant. Reggie is a cool guy….some of the best pulled pork I’ve ever had.
You obviously don’t know where Jackson is. 1 hr outside of Memphis, and most Jackson schools play mostly Memphis based schools. USJ has one of the best Tennessee programs
How this guy is still capable of recruiting at this level is beyond me.
Maybe some of these guys just don’t watch the games or read the sports sites. If he could coach half as well as he can recruit, we’d be celebrating more than just those Life Championships.
Brick by brick
Great pickup for UT. I’m waiting on people to say the same thing they said about Ole Miss hiring Pattersons brother. It happens and it’s harmless. Williams is good for UT, sad you guys snagged him..but glad he’s not at Alabama. They don’t need another 5* star for that class
Tennessee gets all these good players and I don’t know what happens to them!