Butch Jones has a lot going on this season. He's expected to be on the hot seat with the Tennessee Volunteers from the outset of the year. There will be a new quarterback who has to lead the team to SEC glory. There are highly praised recruits coming in and off-the-field issues taking hold. He addressed all of this during his availability at SEC Media Day. But he also took some time to address Trey Smith, one of the most intriguing freshmen in the conference.
Talking about Trey Smith
Smith comes into college with plenty of hype. 247 Sports considered him a Top-15 prospect in the country, a five-star recruit at offensive tackle.
He competed in the 2017 Under Armour All-America Game and was an All-American pick by USA Today. That's a lot of expectations to live up to. According to Jones, he's doing that and more, in the classroom, on the playing field, and on the sidelines.
Butch Jones on #Vols FR OT Trey Smith: Has a 3.5 GPA. He's the nicest guy off the field & plays with a nastiness on it.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) July 10, 2017
Smith enrolled at the school back in January, so his impressive GPA is no joke at this point. Fans are wondering what kind of impact he is going to make during his freshman season, though. Offensive line is expected to be a position of strength for the Volunteers and the highly-touted freshman should earn a spot along the line.
He is primarily an offensive tackle, but Drew Richmond is going to start at left tackle, so Smith will either have to start at right tackle or learn a new position to start. Jones seems to have all the faith in the world in him, though.
Other thoughts from Jones
All eyes were on Butch Jones during Monday's media session and the head coach had plenty to say.
He started his sessions at 2:40 local times and they continued for over two and a half hours. Most people had a particular interest in the quarterback battle now that Joshua Dobbs has moved on to the NFL. Jones claimed that Quinten Dormady and Jarrett Guarantano were similar in many ways and that both could expect to see the field at the beginning of the season.
In regards to last season, Jones claimed not to view it as a disappointment. Many Tennessee fans would disagree with that assessment, though. The team went 9-4 and won the Music City Bowl. While that would not be a bad season in the eyes of many, Volunteers fans have much higher expectations for their squad. It was tied with the previous season for the best record in the Butch Jones era. Embarking on his fifth season, however, fans are ready to see the team compete for an SEC Championship and more.
