Y-Receiver 1 – Jake Smith
If there is one player to get excited about in this Texas offense, it is Jake Smith. Coming out of high school, the wide receiver was the Gatorade National Player of the Year. A four-star recruit, he was a top 10 player at his position in the 2019 recruiting class.
With all the hype surrounding him as a true freshman, he delivered as much as he possibly could. He caught 25 passes (fifth on the team) for 274 yards and six touchdowns (second on the team). Now, with a full year under his belt, Smith is only expected to get better.
With Mike Yurcich’s system more pass friendly than Tim Beck’s, Smith will have a bigger impact out of the slot. Devin Duvernay came out of the slot on most plays in 2019 and was Sam Ehlinger’s go-to man. Hopefully, Smith fills Duvernay’s shoes nicely, producing the same kind of numbers as a sophomore.