Tennessee freshman wide receiver Josh Smith runs wide.KNOXVILLE – The disbelief was evident on Josh Smith’s face.
With Tennessee trying to swing momentum back in its direction after Missouri took a 17-0 lead in Columbia last week, the Volunteers’ freshman receiver let an easy catch thrown perfectly by quarterback Josh Dobbs go right through his hands.
The 6-foot-2, 193-pounder from Knoxville has struggled with drops this season, and the latest one may have been the biggest.
“I think he just has to continue to progress,” Vols coach Butch Jones said Monday. “I think he’s going through the maturation phase of a true freshman. He’s extremely competitive. Josh, I’ll tell you right now, has the best hands on our football team.
“He’s extremely competitive. He brings it every day in practice. He’s extremely difficult and hard on himself, which we want. That’s the mark of a great competitor. Now it’s taking the practice field to the game field. He’s a young man with a tremendous amount of upside, and he’ll be fine.”