The finished product won't be on display until Sept. 2 when Tennessee hosts California. But the early reports are good for the Vols' wide receivers.

Fewer dropped passes.

A smaller rotation of wideouts.

The core of the transformation is Vols assistant football coach Trooper Taylor, who was called on to replace Pat Washington following the 2005 season.

The transition was natural. Taylor had a history of coaching wide receivers and seemed a perfect fit for a group of underachievers.

A quick turnaround is expected. After all, Taylor pulled off a similar reclamation project in his first year at UT, when he coached running backs in 2004.

Taylor's most-significant achievement in his first year was the resurrection of Gerald Riggs Jr.'s career. A Parade All-American, Riggs only managed 256 yards before Taylor's arrival.

Then, the Chattanooga tailback split time as a junior with senior Cedric Houston in 2004 and secured the starting tailback position the following year. Under Taylor, Riggs logged 1,637 yards despite missing the last five games of 2005 due to a lower leg injury.

So the question is, "Who will be the next Gerald Riggs at wide receiver?"

"I think Bret Smith will probably be that guy," Taylor said on the News Sentinel Sports Page radio show. "Any time you get a fresh start it helps."

Smith may not have been quite the underachiever that Riggs was but he was close. Smith has 647 yards receiving in his first three seasons at UT.

Still, there is a common thread among the two: immaturity.

For Riggs, it was missing class or being late for team meetings. For Smith, it was a severe case of shyness.

The senior did almost everything he could to avoid media interviews, including disguising himself with a hooded sweatshirt and bolting from the locker room after games even before he showered.

"I feel that it's something that has to be done," Smith said, hands visibly shaking during an interview. "It's something that you have to overcome and grow out of."

Had it not been for the coaching change, you can be sure that Smith would still be more elusive off the field than on it.

That all changed when Taylor took over. Taylor refers to Smith's first three years as "BTT", or "Before Trooper Taylor." Taylor mandated that Smith talk to the media.

"He's really opened up," Taylor said. "He's visiting with you guys now. We talked about building the whole person, not just him catching balls and blocking somebody.

"Just trying to make sure he has people skills and can be able to address the media and anybody else, even on the next level (NFL) when he gets that opportunity. I think it's been good for him."

Smith also has been good for the chemistry among UT's wide receivers. Taylor calls the quiet guy from Arkansas the prankster of the group.

Don't try calling Smith to make sure he's headed to a wide receivers' meeting. He's already there, sitting next to Taylor, quietly giggling.

Don't leave your shoes out at night. The laces could be tied together -- especially if you have an early-morning workout.

Don't believe Smith if he tells you he saw your girlfriend with another guy last night. He'll let you stew, then clear up things.

"It brings the fun back into it when you can have fun with your teammates," Smith said. "You can get to know them a little better when you're in there having fun and it's not just all business."

Said Taylor, "If he's comfortable with you, he'll let his hair down a little bit."

The shy prankster's toughness was questioned last season, along with many of his green, non-contact jersey-wearing teammates.

Smith is trying to dispel that reputation this season. It began when UT opened practice last Friday.

"He dislocated his finger," Taylor said. "They had to pop it back into place two times and he didn't miss a beat. Before, he'd have been out of there. He'd be done for the day."

Smith's new openness has been welcomed by fans and media who always wondered about the quiet guy who often finds the end zone.

Don't get used to it.

"You all know just about as much as you're going to know," he said.