There's one primary returning starting receiver from last season this spring, Key'Shawn Smith.

But that doesn't mean he'll be the go-to guy … or even remain a starter.

In Josh Gattis' new offense he'll have to earn it, and so far this spring arguably the two most impressive receivers have been Jacolby George (7 catches, 183 yards) and Xavier Restrepo (24 catches, 373 yards).

Last year, Smith had 33 catches for 405 yards.

Also in the mix to start: Clemson transfer Frank Ladson, who has worked in with Smith for first team reps, Brashard Smith (199 yards), Romello Brinson (7-90) and Michael Redding.

Competition to get in the rotation is intense.

“If I can be receiver one, I’d love to be in that position,” Smith said after the team's Thursday practice wrapped up. “No one knows yet, we’re still competing every day. We’ll have to wait till fall happens, see what happens.”

The team loses a lot of production from last year’s receiver room, with record-setting WRs Charleston Rambo and Mike Harley making up 60 percent of the yards.

“I was just talking to Rambo,” Smith said. “He was telling me `break my records, work hard, outwork everybody else.’”

Smith says he studies tape of NFL receivers Stefon Diggs and Jarvis Landry for pointers. And new coordinator/WR coach Josh Gattis has “made a lot of changes technique-wise,” Smith said.

“Sometimes we don’t do the drill right, he’ll send you back and have you just watch to make sure you do it right the next time," Smith said.

Smith also weighed in on the physicality in practices and scrimmages.

“You can tell if you’re watching there’s a lot of hitting going on,” he said. “We weren’t hitting as much last year, weren’t tackling as much during spring last year. It’s very different.

“We needed more physicality on the defensive and offensive side because we weren’t hitting as much. Being able to take hits and get tackled in practice (helps for games).”

Smith said during the first scrimmage “the energy was way different” compared to last year and that the team is playing to the whistle.

“We don’t get touched and just be down in full pads (like in the past),” Smith said.