Volunteer Country

Travis Smith Jr. Draws Praise From Tennessee's Coaching Staff

Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Travis Smith Jr. is garnering rave reviews from the Vols' coaching staff after a few months on campus.

Evan Crowell

2025 4-star WR Travis Smith during his official visit to Tennessee. (Photo courtesy of Travis Smith)
2025 4-star WR Travis Smith during his official visit to Tennessee. (Photo courtesy of Travis Smith) /
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Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Travis Smith Jr. is garnering rave reviews from the Vols' coaching staff after a few months on campus.

The Tennessee Volunteers lost six wide receivers to the transfer portal and the NFL Draft. Those departures came from an already uninspired passing offense that fell short of expectations last fall. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava is entering what may be his last season in Knoxville, Tennessee, and the team needs talented weapons on the outside to maximize its passing attack this fall.

The Vols already have a proven commodity with redshirt junior Chris Brazzell II, who could take a leap in his second season with Tennessee. Sophomore Mike Matthews and redshirt freshman Braylon Staley were highly recruited prospects who have already been on campus for a year and could round out their three-person rotation. However, they will rely on an unknown receiver at some point this season - true freshman Travis Smith Jr. certainly deserves a look.

Smith ranked as the No. 83 prospect in the 2025 class and No. 10 wide receiver, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. Tennessee beat out Alabama, Auburn, and Georgia for the coveted 6-foot-3 Georgia native. He then logged 64 receptions for 1,312 yards and 13 touchdowns in his senior season at Westlake High School, earning all-state honors across several platforms.

Now, true freshman wide receivers rarely make an impact in head coach Josh Heupel's offense. There's a major adjustment period for that position group coming out of high school, learning the timing and why behind one of the most unique offenses in college football. It's not enough to be physically gifted, as you must also possess a bright football accumen early to see the field.

Smith has made several eye-popping plays on the practice field since arriving, but Tennessee got its first glimpse of him in a game setting on Saturday. Heupel met with the media immediately following their on-field work and gave Smith high marks three months into his college career.

"He, like our freshman class, the midyear guys in January, just really mature," Heupel said. "He has handled himself extremely well, accountable in his competitive makeup and how he approaches every single day. He did a great job in the offseason continuing to grow his body, and then for a young player, has handled what we've installed already in the early part, which is a lot."

"He has handled it extremely well, and so, when you understand what you are doing, now you can attack how you need to play from snap to whistle. He's got great size, great length, competitive to the catch, and you saw that tonight."

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Evan Crowell
EVAN CROWELL

Evan Crowell is currently pursuing a journalism degree from the University of Missouri and has various media experiences throughout his young career. He's been committed to marrying the fan's perspective of the game of football to the technical intricacies installed in each game by coaches and players. Crowell has been working at Fan Nation since 2020 and has covered high-profile college football games, recruiting events, and more during that five-year tenure. While he never played football, he's worked relentlessly to continue improving his understanding of the game while still covering the unique stories of each individual he covers.

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