Texas Football: 3 Longhorns that will breakout vs. OU

3) Texas football players who could breakout vs. OU: Jake Smith

You could really tell that the former Gatorade National High School Football Player of the Year and blue chip four-star recruit Jake Smith was shaking off a lot of rust in the loss to TCU on Oct. 3. The sophomore starting slot wide receiver had his fair share of troubles, and good looking plays, at different points in that loss to the Horned Frogs.

Smith wound up registering four catches for 49 yards and one touchdown. That seems good on the surface, but an offensive pass interference call against him and a key drop where he had a ton of room to run in the open field really cost the Longhorns earlier in the game. Smith also had a few problems with dropping the ball last season.

We should give Smith more time to get settled in, as making his season debut in the third game of the 2020 campaign was not going to be easy by any means. He was working his way back from a non-COVID-19 related illness and a hamstring injury, both of which he suffered before the season opening win back on Sep. 12 over the UTEP Miners at home.

Smith registered one of the worst receiving and drop grades of his career to date in the loss to TCU. He was targeted nine times, and came down with a reception on 66.7 percent of those passes. Adding in that one penalty against, one drop, and just nine yards total after the catch, and the outing from Smith in the loss to TCU leaves a lot to be desired.

But Smith also showed flashes of the versatile and slippery slot receiver we all know he can be. Maybe he can catch this Oklahoma secondary by surprise on Oct. 10 and breakthrough in a big way.