Texas Football: 3 players who could be the top wide receiver in 2020

3. Jake Smith, Sophomore

A hot start didn’t see much follow-through from rising sophomore wide receiver and the former 2018 Gatorade National High School Football Player of the Year Jake Smith. This Arizona native and former four-star recruit stands at 6-foot and 200 pounds and did show some promise out of the gates last season.

Confidence could go a long way to improving the production on the stat sheet for Smith. It seemed like a lot of his ups and downs were a direct result of him not getting to where he needed to be throughout much of Big 12 play. Texas really started to target Smith less the further and further they got into the Big 12 slate.

Smith had 27 total touches last season for 283 yards and six touchdowns. All six of those touchdowns were receptions. He also averaged 11.0 yards per catch. Take away the wins over the Rice Owls and Texas Tech Red Raiders, and Smith doesn’t have a single game last season where he rakes in more than 40 receiving yards and one touchdown.

He was also not great away from the friendly confines of Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. He reeled in more than 150 of his receiving yards and four touchdowns come at home, with just under 40 receiving yards and no scores coming on the road. He did have 75 yards and two touchdowns (from the win over Rice) at a neutral site.

Smith should be the starter for the Longhorns at the H-wide receiver spot.