Tennessee offensive lineman Trey Smith (73), defensive lineman Matthew Butler (94) and offensive lineman Michael Raymond (60) celebrate after the Vols beat the No. 21 Auburn Tigers on Oct. 13, 2018, in Auburn, Ala.KNOXVILLE - Barely two months after returning to full-contact football after a health scare, one of Tennessee's best players is again dealing with blood clots in his lungs.
Tennessee announced Thursday that left tackle Trey Smith will be out indefinitely after doctors discovered blood clots in the star sophomore's lungs Wednesday.
The diagnosis means coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff will have to make a quick shuffle on the offensive line ahead of Saturday night's game at South Carolina. It also means Smith's football future is once again uncertain after the 6-foot-6, 320-pounder underwent six months of treatment for the same condition during the offseason.
"The most important thing is for Trey to be able to get healthy," Pruitt said in a released statement. "He has been an outstanding student-athlete during my time here on and off the field. Our sole focus for Trey is on his recovery. We are thankful that our medical staff discovered this and is getting him the proper treatment."
Redshirt sophomore Nathan Niehaus (6-6, 287) is listed as the Volunteers' backup left tackle but has started the past two games at right guard and played only sparingly at tackle this season. Jahmir Johnson (6-5, 285), a redshirt sophomore with six starts at left guard this season, also has the build and athleticism of a tackle.
Little-used reserves K'Rojhn Calbert and Marcus Tatum also could get a chance to crack the offensive line rotation as the Vols (3-4, 1-3 Southeastern Conference) finish preparations for their matchup with the Gamecocks (3-3, 2-3) at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m., with the SEC Network televising the game.
For Smith, it's another setback in a career in which he has displayed obvious NFL potential. He was the only Tennessee player named to one of the preseason All-SEC teams, and he earned Freshman All-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America last season.
Smith, who prepped at the University School of Jackson in western Tennessee, was graded as the No. 1 overall prospect in the country for the recruiting class of 2017 by ESPN. He picked the Vols over several other major programs, including top-ranked Alabama.
Last week, as Tennessee prepared to host the Crimson Tide, Smith admitted he was an Alabama fan growing up.
"There's no hiding that," he said.
Tennessee began to gain his interest as he went through the recruiting process.
"Just coming on visits here, started falling in love with the campus, the rich tradition," Smith said. "Hearing the passion and stories of (former players) like Al Wilson and Trey Teague from my hometown. Thinking about (late women's basketball coach) Pat Summitt and everything that made Tennessee special, that orange, Rocky Top, it started turning me, man. I fell in love with this place."
Tennessee fans have returned the love. Smith has endeared himself to the fan base with his physical play and his personable demeanor. When he arrived on campus as a 17-year-old for the 2017 spring semester, he joked about how other students seemed intimidated by his build.
"A lot of time people are scared," Smith said at the time. "Just a friendly public service announcement: I will not eat you; I will not harm you; I just want to say hi."
Smith emerged as a vocal leader for the Vols at the end of a 4-8 campaign last season, with coach Butch Jones fired two games before its finish.
Lately, Smith had been critical of his own performance as Tennessee's offensive line has struggled.
Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidWCobb and on Facebook at facebook.com/volsupdate.