1/30/2023 football Edit

Pair of former Vols headed to Super Bowl LVII

Tennessee offensive lineman Trey Smith prepares to block in the Vols' game against Mississippi State in 2019. (Knoxville News-Sentinel)

Noah Taylor • VolReport

Managing Editor

Noah is a graduate of the UT College of Journalism & Electronic Media and has covered Tennessee football since 2019. He joined Rivals in 2022.

Tennessee will have some representation at Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona in two weeks.

Trey Smith, who starred on the Vols’ offensive line from 2017-20, will appear in his first Super Bowl in just his second season in the NFL after his Kansas City Chiefs team beat the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20, in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.

The Chiefs will meet the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles for the World Championship.

Smith, the Humboldt, Tennessee native, was a highly-rated, four-star recruit in former head coach Butch Jones' 2017 signing class and made an immediate impact at right guard and left tackle as a freshman. He started 12 games and earned All-SEC second team honors.

Seven games into his sophomore season in 2018, Smith was ruled out for the remainder of the season due to blood clots in his lungs, which put the rest of his career in jeopardy.

Smith was cleared to play for the 2019 season and anchored the Vols' front as left guard. He opted to return for his senior season in 2020 and was an All-SEC first team selection.

Despite being one of the few consistent players on a string of struggling Tennessee teams, Smith wasn't selected until the sixth round where he was picked up by the Chiefs as the 226th overall pick.

Just like his Tennessee tenure, it didn't take long for Smith to make an impact in the NFL. He started at right guard during his rookie season in 2021 and was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team.

Smith started 16 of the Chiefs’ 17 regular season games in 2022, as well as two games in Kansas City's playoff run. Per Pro Football Focus, Smith currently holds a 72.7 overall grade — with a 70.5 grade in both pass and run blocking.

He won't be the only former Tennessee player with a chance to win a ring, though.

Defensive lineman Derek Barnett, who broke the school's sack record previously held by Reggie White with 32.0 sacks in 2016, has been a key contributor for the Eagles in his five seasons with the franchise, but missed most of the 2022 campaign following an ACL tear in the season opener.

Super Bowl LVII is slated for a 6:30 p.m. ET kickoff on FOX.

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