No. 27 -- WR Tevaun Smith

Tevaun Smith is a year ahead in just about everything.

The 6-2, 200-pound wide receiver turned 20 in January, so he's a little older than most true sophomores. He played last season as a true freshman, catching three passes for 31 yards in nine games. If his speed translates to the field (something that seemed "off" for the Iowa WR corps last season), Smith could be a step ahead of Big Ten defensive backs. He's run an 11.05-second 100 meters and 22.72 in the 200.

And now heading into his sophomore year, Smith's expectations have taken a leap ahead. Simply put, Iowa is dying for a wide receiver to take positive steps forward. Iowa really needs what Smith, potentially, has to offer. If Iowa can find a WR who can take a safety deep with him -- and occasionally come up with an explosive play -- that would clear some clutter from the underneath. Everyone would automatically find more space. You could argue that it is the No. 1 challenge for an Iowa offense that could have the pieces in place for a bruising rushing game.

And then there's this from offensive coordinator Greg Davis before the spring game:

"If we played last Saturday, the three guys we would have started in that personnel group would have been Tevaun Smith, Kevonte Martin and Donald Shumpert," he said.

So, Smith goes from true freshman taking his first steps in college to starter. That is as "ahead" as it gets.

Key 2012 factor: When a true freshman plays, coach Kirk Ferentz has maintained, for the most part, that the player improves because he is "in" the plans. He takes snaps with the first team. He is a part of the game plan. He has to prepare as if the game-changing ball is coming his way. The logic here is that it's better to be with the second unit than to be running a foreign offense on scout team. The results here have varied. There's no reason to think it won't translate for Smith.

Offseason factor: A lot of dry eraser has been spilled on Iowa's passing game since December, but could improvement here be as simple as the hiring of wide receivers coach Bobby Kennedy? Kennedy spent seven years with Davis at Texas (2004-10). He knows Davis' language, what Davis wants to teach and the bigger-picture concepts. Going into 2012 -- and from the outside -- it sure seemed as though former wide receivers Erik Campbell was as secure as any coach on staff. New system comes in and clearly doesn't translate. A change is made.

One observation here is the way Iowa used the hurry-up no-huddle this spring. The Hawkeyes used it a little more and Kennedy was in the middle of this with play-call signals from the sidelines. Of course, we've all seen Iowa play footsie with hurry-up, and the long term use of that is tied as much to the defense as it is the offense making first downs.

Competition: This position is a mystery box. Iowa has poured bodies all over it and the competition should be brutal. There are 16 WRs listed on the roster going into camp, including 11 on scholarship. There are five incoming WRs, including junior college transfer Damond Powell.

Davis was asked this spring if Iowa was counting on any of the five new WRs to contribute right away.

"We've told the freshmen receivers that some of them are going to get an opportunity to come in and show what they can do," he said. "At the same time I would caution that they're freshmen, and freshmen are freshmen.

"Maybe Tevaun last year was a guy that was mature for his age. He did get to play some. He's a much better player now because of it. So maybe one or two of those guys, hopefully, will be able to come in and offer some help."

Why No. 27?: It's clear Smith is in the plans, pretty high up in the plans. If he comes through as a starter and a top-three WR in receptions, I'm clearly undervaluing him at No. 27. There are no guarantees. There is a lot of competition. High-end walk-ons Blake Haluska and Riley McCarron might have something to say at this position. But yes, if Smith comes through with 35 or 40 catches, he's way too low here.

Outlook: Smith has great size and speed. He looks to have the strength to be a physical WR with the ability to clear space and make plays in traffic. Last August, he regularly ran open down field during scrimmages, blowing past coverage. He didn't catch a pass in two spring practices that were open to the public, but he was targeted and was open. He had a burst that put him in a speed class right there with seniors Jordan Cotton and Shumpert, two of the fastest players on the team.

Smith isn't a cookie cutter prospect. The reason he's a years older is because he attended Chaminade College High School in Toronto before attending Kent, a prep school, in 2011 hoping to gain more attention from FBS schools.

It worked, he's in the door. When the technical wide receiver skills click, Smith will be a contributor. When that happens and how much of a contribution remain to be seen.

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