Originally Posted by :
Henry Louis "Trey" Smith III has gone through much adversity since high school but continues to battle. His mother, Dorsetta, passed away from congestive heart failure when he was at the University School at Jackson in Tennessee. While there, he excelled on the gridiron, winning the Mr. Football Award twice and garnering a first-team All-American and top-10 overall recruit rating nationally. The Volunteers kept him in-state, and he received second-team All-SEC, Freshman All-American, and SEC All-Freshman recognition as a 12-game starter (eight at right guard, four at left tackle). After the season, however, he was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs. Smith fought through that malady to return for the 2018 campaign but had to stop after seven starts at left tackle as doctors believed the clots had returned. However, additional study of those test results showed that doctors might have actually seen scar tissue from the previous clots. Smith worked hard in the offseason, losing 40 pounds, and he garnered 2019 first-team All-SEC honors after moving inside to left guard, where he started 12 of 13 games played. He was a first-team all-conference selection again in 2020, starting all 11 games at left guard for the Volunteers. He received the Jason Witten Award for leadership on the field and community service off the field, as well as the Fritz Pollard Trophy for extraordinary courage and community values. He accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl. -- by Chad Reuter
Overview
When putting together a guard built for an NFL power-based scheme, the blueprint would probably look like Smith. He's big, wide, strong, long and will flash an aggressive streak when he gets geared up. The lack of body control and technique he put on tape suggests it may be difficult for him to overcome his limited athleticism. An offseason of fundamentals work should help Smith become more efficient into first contact, which will really unlock his power at the point of attack. He's been one of the more talked about guard prospects over the last few years but might be in for a bumpy beginning as he adjusts to the athletes and technicians he will face as a pro. Strengths
Elite size and length for the position.
Frame is broad and thick.
Very heavy-handed with plus upper-body strength.
Able to throw a sack of bricks at opponent when he punches.
Has physical potential to become dominant with better technique.
Drive power to turn base blocks out of the gap.
Can bang and cave his down-blocks.
Knock-back pop on both first and second levels.
Good job of finding targets on his short pulls.
Sets a very firm anchor against bull rushers.
Has faced off against a variety of current pro defenders during career.
Weaknesses
Lack of range shows up in run game and pass sets.
Long first step, causing him to overshoot his landmark and lose positioning.
Needs better footwork and hand clinch for improved sustain.
Will cheat secure block to save time getting up to linebacker on combos.
Plays with hitch and outside hands with pass punch.
Below-average body control and recovery potential.
Loses balance and positioning against rush counters.
Struggles to redirect weight after biting on fakes in pass pro.
Slide quickness to cut off the gaps is a concern.
Has dealt with blood clotting issues.
Sources Tell Us
"I guess you don't like big, aggressive guards, Lance? I know he has things to work on, but they can be coached up. The (history of blood clots) is a much bigger issue than anything on tape for me." -- Personnel executive for NFC team
I’m so happy for @TreySmith73 going to the @chiefs. Finally. Chiefs Kingdom got an awesome player and fantastic human!!
He'll never have the personality or play the position that provides him with a bunch of escalades, but man, he is the exact type of player KC needed after SB LV and THE perfect fit for this team and fanbase culture. Same with Creed.
I enjoy that he's a throwback nod to our dominant Olines of the past while working within the Reid and Mahomes era. While unlikely, outside of a handful of other players, Trey is up there with whom I'd love to see their entire career play out as a Chief. [Reply]
If I understand it correctly. Trey was at SB LIV, not at SB LV & of course at SB LVII. Which means he should always be at Chiefs' SBs. Next Trey Smith Q&A ask how he feels about cremation [Reply]
Huh. Went to check out his Wikipedia page to see if that was his HS coach and 1. It seems to be and 2. Had no idea Smith was the #1 overall recruit out of high school in 2017, at least according to ESPN.
What a fucking yo yo of a career he's had. Comes into college football as one of the best recruits in football, gets named to the All-SEC Second Team, discovers blood clots halfway through his sophomore season and loses the starting LT job because of it, goes back to play LG his junior year, then falls all the way to the 6th to get drafted by us. The rest is history. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Superturtle:
Huh. Went to check out his Wikipedia page to see if that was his HS coach and 1. It seems to be and 2. Had no idea Smith was the #1 overall recruit out of high school in 2017, at least according to ESPN.
What a fucking yo yo of a career he's had. Comes into college football as one of the best recruits in football, gets named to the All-SEC Second Team, discovers blood clots halfway through his sophomore season and loses the starting LT job because of it, goes back to play LG his junior year, then falls all the way to the 6th to get drafted by us. The rest is history.
When I found out the reason he dropped was an illness that he hadn't dealt with in 3-4 years, I knew we had a steal. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KCUnited:
I won't hold back my love for Trey Smith.
He'll never have the personality or play the position that provides him with a bunch of escalades, but man, he is the exact type of player KC needed after SB LV and THE perfect fit for this team and fanbase culture. Same with Creed.
I enjoy that he's a throwback nod to our dominant Olines of the past while working within the Reid and Mahomes era. While unlikely, outside of a handful of other players, Trey is up there with whom I'd love to see their entire career play out as a Chief.
Right on! I love the way plays, just destroying Dlinemen. He's one of my favorite players. I have been thinking since late in the season that I need a Trey Smith jersey. Just haven't seen one anywhere. [Reply]
When the time comes, I really hope we can keep both Trey and Creed. Trey is the one dude on our o-line who plays with a real mean streak. We need that type of intimidator/enforcer. [Reply]