Trainer: 2021 WR Jaquez Smith In League Of His Own

Jaquez Smith‍ provided Terrence Edwards with plenty to work with when the 2021 Georgia athlete began training with Edwards as a youngster.

“When I first got Jaquez in the seventh or eighth grade, he was just a really raw athlete,” said Edwards, who runs TE WR Academy.

“He was just physically, naturally better than his age group. Now he’s matured into a well-rounded wide receiver. He’s not just an athlete anymore. It’s his maturity as an athlete. I just don’t think anybody in his age group really compares to him skill-wise right now.”

The Hapeville Charter star has worked with Edwards on “everything,” including his route-running.

“That’s one of the things, if you train with me, you’ll be able to run every route from a hitch route to a post to an over to a comeback,” Edwards explained. “You’re going to be able to master the art of running routes.

“That’s one of the biggest things he had to learn, to become a better and more disciplined route-runner. What I mean by more disciplined, just being disciplined knowing you don’t have to rush in and out of his breaks, but he has to be fast if that makes sense. He’s learned how to use leverage. He’s learned how to set defenders up to get in and out and just create more separation.”

Smith’s work is far from finished from Edwards’ perspective, though.

“He’s still young at the position,” said Edwards. “We’re just still working on everything. When you train with me, you’re going to work on small things and big things; from starts and stances to getting in and out of breaks to hand-eye coordination. We’re not going to limit ourselves to attacking just one area of his game. We’re going to work on all areas to help him be the best receiver he can be.”

Smith recently added Notre Dame to a growing list of scholarship offers that also includes schools like Georgia, Florida, LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Nebraska among others.

Edwards thinks the Notre Dame offer is one Smith will consider.

“I think every kid, it doesn’t matter where you come from, always thinks about Notre Dame,” said Edwards, who starred at Georgia during his collegiate days.

“I got offered by Notre Dame coming out of high school. That’s one of the schools you always see on TV, growing up and watching them every Saturday. Touchdown Jesus and the Golden Dome is intriguing to everyone. It’s big and I know he will get up there at some point to continue to try building a relationship with those guys.”

Edwards didn’t seriously consider the Irish during his recruitment, but recently started wondering if he should have.

“I was intrigued by it and had a few conversations with them, but I never got up there,” he said.

“I went up there for the Georgia-Notre Dame game last year and now I’m kicking myself because I wish I would have just taken a visit there. That’s a special place and now I get an opportunity to tell kids I train with what Notre Dame has to offer. I tell them to just get up there and experience that because it’s a special place up there in South Bend.”