No. 8 – Jake Smith
Position: Wide receiver
Year: Sophomore
Analysis: A former Gatorade Player of the Year, Jake Smith was a huge recruiting picking up for Tom Herman in the state of Arizona. A four-star recruit, Smith was a top 10 receiver in his class as Texas got him over USC.
Playing in all 13 games last season, Smith never had a breakout game. Overall, he caught 25 catches for 274 yards and six touchdowns. His best performance of the season came against Rice, where he tallied six catches for 45 yards and two touchdowns.
Much more production is on the way from Smith in 2020. The wide receiver is one of the leading candidates to replace Devin Duvernay in the slot. Texas has a young star in the making for both Sam Ehlinger and whoever takes over as the starting quarterback next season.