Tennessee’s Josh Smith (25) shakes a Commodore tackler on a big gain. The Vanderbilt Commodores visited the Tennessee Volunteers in SEC football action November 28, 2015.KNOXVILLE – Josh Smith is the latest wide receiver to take a shot at playing one of the most important positions in Tennessee’s offense.
The slot receiver is vital in the attack Butch Jones has utilized in his years as a head coach. This spring the Volunteers have put Smith – a fourth-year junior from Christian Academy of Knoxville – there in hopes of finding a reliable option.
“He’s got a great skill set,” wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni said Thursday. “He’s big. He’s 210 pounds, and he’s really tough. We all know that. He makes the hard catches. He’s real quick. He’s a lot quicker than people give him credit for, so he can get in and out of his breaks and manage those voided areas in zone coverage.
“He can also beat man coverage, and when you’re in the slot, a lot of times you’re off the ball, and that helps him getting off press coverage. The great thing about Josh is he knows every position, so we can move him around. I think his natural position is slot. Hats off to him – last year my man came in and made some big-time catches on the outside, probably playing a little bit out of position. That did nothing but help him be a better slot. I’m pleased with his progress.”
Smith caught 23 passes for 307 yards and two touchdowns last season after missing all but three games due to injury in 2014. His most notable play in 2015 was a fourth-down, catch-and-run score that ignited Tennessee’s comeback against Georgia.
Smith has produced when healthy, and having him in the slot will allow Preston Williams, Jauan Jennings, Josh Malone and others to line up outside.
“For slots, you’re looking for quick guys, sometimes smaller guys. That describes Josh,” offensive coordinator Mike DeBord said. “He’s got great quickness and got great ball skills, and he’s very smart.”
Smith was productive in Tennessee’s two scrimmages so far this spring, and he could develop into a go-to target for quarterback Josh Dobbs.
“He’s dynamic and fast (with) great hands,” Dobbs said after Saturday’s scrimmage. “He does a lot of different things. Having him in the slot, and then him being able to rotate to the outside, it’s been big.
“He’s kind of the guy with the most experience in the room, him and Josh Malone, so having that presence and being able to talk to guys like Preston and Jauan and the younger guys has really been big, and he continues to help out that room a lot.”
The offenses Jones used as head coach at Central Michigan and Cincinnati were built around productive slot receivers. It was Antonio Brown, now a star for the Pittsburgh Steelers, with the Chippewas. D.J. Woods, who caught 94 passes for 1,348 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2010 and 2011, was that player at Cincinnati.
Pig Howard led the Vols in receiving in 2013 and 2014 from the slot, and Tennessee’s passing game skipped a couple of beats last season in the wake of his September dismissal from the program.
Regardless of where he’s playing, Smith may be the safest bet to be Tennessee’s most productive receiver in 2016. But playing in the slot enhances those odds.
“There’s a lot of different ways to get him the football with run adjustments, which are quick throws and stuff like that, and also, too, getting involved in the overall throw game,” DeBord explained. “When you’re in the slot, you’re more in the middle of the throw game and you have more options. Sometimes if a quarterback is reading one side (of the field), then the outside receiver may not be in the read. When you’re in the slot, you’re kind of involved in all of it.”
Redshirt freshman Vincent Perry is another option at slot receiver, and the Vols may throw Latrell Williams into that mix when the speedy freshman arrives on campus this summer.
Smith, however, is showing this spring that he may be the best man for the job.
“Josh is a leader just because he’s got some clout and some experience, made some big plays and does everything right for me,” Azzanni said. “Neither one of (Smith or Malone) are going to be one of those outgoing alpha-dog guys, but Josh (Smith) plays like that, so he’s got some clout. He’s kind of more of a quiet guy that way.”
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.