In his first season playing football after a four-year hiatus, Georgia Tech wide receiver DeAndre Smelter became the team’s most consistent and dangerous wide receiver.
Now, after a season of play, spring practice and a summer stuffed with pass-catching sessions and time with wide receivers coach Buzz Preston, Smelter has ascended to another level of play.
“DeAndre, he’s really kind of set himself ahead of everybody else right now,” Preston said.
At least as far as Smelter is concerned, it’s an encouraging evaluation. Smelter already set himself ahead last season, when he earned a spot in the starting lineup after having played baseball for the Yellow Jackets for three seasons. In his first football action since high school, Smelter caught 21 passes, most among wide receivers, for 345 yards and four touchdowns.
One of the big exhortations Preston has given to Smelter has been to maintain his focus through adversity and fatigue. It was a lesson shared as the two watched game video over the summer. Smelter also used the summer to run routes and catch passes from Tech’s quarterbacks and also from a pass-throwing machine, often with fellow wide receiver Darren Waller, on a daily basis.
“I put in a lot of work in with Justin (Thomas) and Timmy (Byerly) over the summer, trying to get on the same page,” he said, “so it’s working out.”
In the scrimmage Saturday, Smelter caught two passes early, one for 11 and another for 21 yards. The latter showed his awareness, as he ran towards the right sideline to give Thomas a target as he rolled out to avoid pass pressure. Smelter also threw a downfield block to give Byerly a lane to go 50 yards for a score. Preston called it an “O.K.” block because he missed his assignment at the start of the play but hustled to still make a play.
Said Preston, “He’s getting more comfortable with the game.”
