True freshman wideout Jerminic Smith may be in his final days as an understudy for the Hawkeyes, and he’s learning from the guy he’ll help replace in 2016.
By Charlie Green
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LOS ANGELES — It’s not often true freshmen see the field in an Iowa uniform. Most first-year football players work behind the curtain of a redshirt season, preparing their bodies physically and preserving that golden year of eligibility.
Jerminic Smith isn’t one of those players. And with fellow wide receiver Tevaun Smith (no relation) set to suit up as a Hawkeye one last time in the Jan. 1 Rose Bowl against No. 6 Stanford, the freshman figures to be in line for a big leap in responsibility in No. 5 Iowa’s offense.
“He’s young, but he plays like one of us,” Tevaun Smith said. “He’s really good, and he’s going to be good for Iowa … I’m excited to see him next year.”
The youngster played in 12 games for the Hawks this season. Although he only had 6 receptions, he flashed his promise most in a 4-catch, 118-yard showing against Illinois on Oct. 10.
“Oh, it was awesome, catching 4 or 3 passes, getting more than 100 yards,” Jerminic Smith said. “And as a true freshman, yeah, that was awesome.”
As with all young players, Smith’s ups came with its share of downs. He separated from veteran defenders and dropped easy passes. He made the jump to playing on a high-school field to a stadium filled with tens of thousands of people. In his own words, the most important lesson he picked up was to know his assignment when on the field.
But the 19-year-old never really was on his own. He credits the elder Smith for the growing he’s done in year one of college.
“Playing behind him, watching him blocking and running routes, just really making plays helped me learn a lot,” he said.
Other pass catchers Iowa will lose after the season include Jacob Hillyer as well as tight end Henry Krieger Coble, or 76 of the team’s 206 completions. Senior tailback Jordan Canzeri accounted for an additional 18.
That’s a sizable production void to fill, but Jerminic Smith isn’t thinking that far down the road. Rather, he’s approaching the game the same way that has earned him his playing time in 2015.
“I worked hard just to get on the field, so when I [played] I tried not to look like I was a freshman,” he said. “I try not to look ahead, I just try to work day by day.”
The Hawks do get leading receiver Matt VandeBerg back for one more season, along with big-play tight end George Kittle.
Smith may be a little behind of some of quarterback C.J. Beathard’s top targets on the pass-catching ladder, but that doesn’t necessarily he won’t have an opportunity to make an impact on New Year’s Day.
For now, that’s all the Garland, Texas, is worried about. And it’s that mindset that would leave few surprised to see him starting alongside VandeBerg in 2016.
“He’s going to be a starter next year, I believe, if he keeps working hard,” Tevaun SMith said.
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