By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – It might not have appeared that way, but Brian Ferentz did Iowa receiver Brandon Smith a big favor on Tuesday.

Instead of climbing aboard the runaway hype train that was created by the media’s fascination with Smith, his outspoken offensive coordinator tried to temper the enthusiasm when asked what could be done to put Smith in a position to make plays.

Brian Ferentz had plenty to say about his sophomore receiver from Mississippi, but it wasn’t exactly an endorsement.

“What Brandon needs to do is keep developing because I don't know if he's demonstrated he is a playmaker yet,” Brian Ferentz said to reporters. “If we can get him to become one, boy, that would be terrific. It's not hard to move him around. Some of the other guys, it's a little bit harder to find spots for them. We're not going to find out until September 1st, but he's made progress, and we're excited about that.

“But until you do it in a game, it's kind of like — I was pretty smart until I called a play in a game, right? And then I did it, and I don't know if I was so smart anymore or not, but at least I was a proven commodity one way or the other.”

Brian then was asked what Smith could do between now and the start of the season to help himself.

“Keep improving, yeah, keep improving,” Brian Ferentz said. “Keep getting better, keep doing the little things to improve. We've seen a lot of those things with him, whether it's just technique on a release or route running, cleaning up some of those details, consistency, and the effort he's giving every day, which has been excellent right now. But to keep that going from now until September 1st and then through that, that's going to be the challenge.

“Certainly, it's not a sprint we're running. It is most definitely a marathon and probably with conditions that are a little bit more similar to the one in Boston yesterday. So we need mudders. We need guys that are going to keep working and keep grinding away. He's demonstrating that right now. But until he does something in a game besides fumble on an out rout, it's going to be a little bit hard to say that he's a guy we want to put in position to make plays.”

The comment about fumbling on the out route seemed a little harsh because Smith did fumble on an out route last season. But there was definitely a purpose to and a reason for Brian Ferentz’s tough-love approach.

It almost seemed that he was trying to get the media to cool it a little on Smith because too much hype can be counter-productive and a burden.

The 6-foot-3, 219-pound Smith has been a hot topic since he became a part of Iowa’s 2017 recruiting class. He grew up in the south, but was mostly overlooked by the Southeastern Conference schools.

Iowa sort of stumbled on Smith during the recruiting process and it made for an inspirational, feel-good story.

Smith certainly looks the part of a big-play receiver, but there is so much more than looks that goes into filling that role. And some kids develop faster than others.

Brian Ferentz might have shown tough love on Tuesday, but he also was protecting Smith from the weight of unrealistic and unnecessary expectations.

Brian’s comments came a week after Iowa receivers coach Kelton Copeland gave Smith a rousing endorsement to the media.

"Once we get him to trust his fundamentals, use his size, use his speed, use his strength, all of his God-given abilities on a play-by-play basis, day in and day out, he’s going to be a force to be reckoned with,” Copeland said. “There’s no question.”

A force to be reckoned with is pretty high praise, so perhaps Brian Ferentz was trying to deliver a message to Smith, to Copeland and to the media; that message being more action and less hype.

There is nothing wrong with a position coach speaking highly about an unproven player. It happens all the time, especially during spring practice when the glass always seem half full.

But there is also nothing wrong with a coordinator trying to contain the hype, especially with all the recruiting coverage that takes place these days.

Former Iowa receiver Jay Scheel also was singled out by some in the media as a potential star, but his career was derailed and ultimately cut short by injuries.

The problem with hype is that there is no guarantee it'll come true.

Smith should have plenty of chances to live up to the hype this season. He is listed as the starting split end in the spring prospectus and his quarterback threw 26 touchdown passes last season.

Iowa tight end Noah Fant also had 11 touchdown catches last season and will almost certainly draw double and triple coverage this coming season.

Smith and the other receivers should benefit from the extra space.

I was asked by a fan on social media why Brian Ferentz wouldn’t continue to push and promote Smith knowing that Smith struggled with confidence last season.

That’s a fair question since Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz recently told reporters that Smith struggled with confidence last season.

But who knows what goes on behind the scenes?

Brian Ferentz could be saying things to Smith on a regular basis in private that are meant to build his confidence.

Part of being an effective coach or coordinator is knowing your players and knowing what buttons to push.

Brian Ferentz obviously feels that Brandon Smith doesn’t need any more hype at this stage.

Smith isn't to blame for the hype, but he will be blamed by some if he fails to live up to the hype that was bestowed upon him.

It's my belief that Brian Ferentz took steps on Tuesday to prevent that from happening.