Texas Football: 3 most explosive Longhorns weapons in 2020

2. Jake Smith, Wide Receiver

The most proven explosive commodity that is returning for the Longhorns in the receiving corps this year is the former Gatorade National High School Football Player of the Year and rising sophomore Jake Smith. This Arizona native and former highly touted four-star recruit could be a budding star on the Forty Acres.

Smith was one of the very integral parts of the 2019 signing class for the Longhorns. He ranked as one of the nation’s top 50 2019 high school prospects. And he got off to a very solid start last year, before cooling off down the stretch. Texas started to get Devin Duvernay really involved as one of the nation’s most productive wide receivers. And Collin Johnson started to get healthier down the stretch.

Last season, Smith registered 25 receptions for 274 yards and an impressive six touchdown catches. His ratio of touchdown catches to overall receptions was one of the best of the team for any that had at least three last season. Smith was also one of the biggest point producers for the Longhorns last year.

Smith got some high praise before from his teammates, including rising senior star quarterback Sam Ehlinger calling him “freaky fast” at Big 12 Media Days last year. And that was even before Ehlinger and the Longhorns got to see Smith in any real game action. He should be a real threat for Texas on short and intermediate routes this year to make some opposing defenders miss in the open field.