Hicks to Proche

[AusTxPony]

Found on Bleacher Report, top QB/WR combos for next year. Also included was UCF combo.

Ben Hicks and James Proche, SMU
2 OF 8

Cooper Neill/Getty Images
The QB's strengths: While throwing for 3,569 yards and 33 touchdowns, Ben Hicks showed excellent velocity and decent mobility. His arm strength looks natural, and he's comfortable throwing both in the pocket and down the seams. When he sets his feet and fires, Hicks can be impressive.

The WR's strengths: James Proche isn't a burner off the line, but he's a shifty receiver with top-end speed. As a sophomore, Proche showcased his elusiveness with 12 catches of 25-plus yards and ranked 13th nationally at 20.4 yards per reception.

What to expect in 2018: In Sonny Dykes' Air Raid offense, there's often a true No. 1 receiver. SMU must replace 182 catches, 2,321 yards and 25 touchdowns from Trey Quinn and Courtland Sutton, and Proche is the only returning wide receiver who notched more than 10 catches. Hicks will regularly look for Proche.

[footballdad]

Really simple for opposing DC's to take away, unless one of these totally unknown WR's really steps up. Proche was great 2nd/3rd WR behind Sutton/Quinn........is he a true #1? 5'11 - 185, with Ok speed.

TBD

[JasonB]

I know that we have a lot of receivers that aren't proven.

That said, there are a lot of players there that were well regarded in the recruiting cycle. And that I think are genuinely talented.

Proche/Guillard/Page are going to be fine coming out of the slot positions.

Thomas/Honey/Benson/Shelmiire/Bell have all flashed at times in practice and have plenty of physical ability. Between that and the running game, I think we have enough talent to open up the deep Post for Proche to be effective. An improved offensive line will open up the deep throw as well.

[No Quarter]

Maybe we even get a GT or flip a five star.

[DallasDiehard]

Bell needs to be as good as advertised ASAP.

[CBpony]

Found on Bleacher Report, top QB/WR combos for next year. Also included was UCF combo.

Ben Hicks and James Proche, SMU
2 OF 8

Cooper Neill/Getty Images
The QB's strengths: While throwing for 3,569 yards and 33 touchdowns, Ben Hicks showed excellent velocity and decent mobility. His arm strength looks natural, and he's comfortable throwing both in the pocket and down the seams. When he sets his feet and fires, Hicks can be impressive.

The WR's strengths: James Proche isn't a burner off the line, but he's a shifty receiver with top-end speed. As a sophomore, Proche showcased his elusiveness with 12 catches of 25-plus yards and ranked 13th nationally at 20.4 yards per reception.

What to expect in 2018: In Sonny Dykes' Air Raid offense, there's often a true No. 1 receiver. SMU must replace 182 catches, 2,321 yards and 25 touchdowns from Trey Quinn and Courtland Sutton, and Proche is the only returning wide receiver who notched more than 10 catches. Hicks will regularly look for Proche.

His arm strength looks natural? And showed excellent velocity?? Clearly this guy didn’t watch an smu game and went solely off of stats. Sutton made him look a lot better than he is

[3rdGenPony]

Actually arm strength and velocity do look good. It accuracy and throwing a spiral that are the issues. Hicks has shown constant improvement and was much better last year with the exception of the bowl game. He still has a lot of room for improvement, but I am taking a wait and see attitude into next year.

[Charleston Pony]

a lot to be said for actual game experience in college football; will be tough for anyone to take the starting job away from Hicks but if someone does, that will be an indication the program has significantly upgraded the talent level at QB

[Stallion]

None of the guys on campus are going to take the job away so unless there is a super-stud graduate transfer Hicks will start and break just about every career SMU passing record by November

[footballdad]

I'll bet the under in every statistical category for Hicks this year, compared to last year, without Sutton and Quinn. Except for picks.

Any 'records' he breaks, are simply a function of him getting more starts, than him being better than previous SMU QB's. Hicks just fortunate that Morris sucked at QB recruiting, haha. Just imagine what Gilbert would have done with Sutton & Quinn!

[mtrout]

Football without Sutton and Quinn and Lawler is like basketball without Sterling, Semi, and Ben.

[northtexsmu]

An improved OL this year should also mean a lot better running game.

[Stallion]

We were No. 28 nationally in yards per rushing attempt and Top 1/3rd in sacks allowed last year-and a bunch ahead of us don't get sacks because they don't pass much. Best Offensive Line performance in at least a decade maybe 2 decades. I think we take a step back in both stats next year partly because of the Air Raid Offense.

We are going more toward larger pass protectors and away from drive blockers. I think all the JUCO OLM have more to do with the style of play. In simplest terms the first step for a drive blocker is forward and the first step in a passing blocking scheme is backwards. Two different skill sets. Remember in the Run N Shoot-even our best running plays were finesse blocking schemes rather than drive blocking

We still got a bunch of damn good young (redshirt Freshman/Sophomore) offensive lineman like Howerton, Ali, Hahn, Jacob Todoro and others but Sonny's recruiting strategy suggests he wants a more bulked up Offensive Lineman. That's still the best group of young lineman already on campus that SMU has had in years but right now they are in the 265-280 which was alright for 1st and 2nd year linemen in the tempo power spread.

I wish we had that nucleus of great young talent at any Defensive position where we really should be looking for immediate help

[JasonB]

No one is arguing about the youth, but the Beachum and Josh line under JJ was by far the best we have had since the DP.

Nobody watching the games last year thought "man, that's a hell of an o-line". We didn't have players that could dominate the point of attack. We had athletes all over the field who forced the defense to spread, and we did a great job with misdirection and play calling to keep the other team off balance. They were "okay", and certainly an improvement over the past 5 years, but I wouldn't have put them in the "good" category yet. Did anyone have confidence that on 3rd or 4th and one we could power run for a yard? I didn't think so.

Next year I think the progression continues forward. We had a true frosh play who will be great at center, have a solid tackle in Pursley, and then the two JUCOs and the young guys will give us at least solids at every other position.

[Stallion]

You continue to amaze me

SMU was 7th in the Country in 4th Down Conversion and 37th in the Country in 3rd Down Conversion. Now show me a year in the last 20 years we have been better. It damn sure it won't be during the June Jones era even when we were finesse blocking with delayed draws. More than 50% of Zach Line's rushing yardage came from finesse blocking. Last year was definitely the best year for drive blocking in short yardage in years and we didn't have to finesse block to move the chains. We had a backup goal line specialist RB score 9 TDs and a bunch of First Downs which was a major reason we were 14th in the Country in First Downs