The Athletic: Is SMU becoming the third-best team in Texas?

[Donnell88]

Ari Wasserman of the Athletic wrote, in responding to a question as to how worried schools like Baylor and TCU should be about the Ponies:

"I will say this about SMU, it is one of the programs that has benefitted the most from this chaotic summer. The one-time transfer rule allows great players from Texas who have left the state to return more easily, its location in Dallas makes it an NIL dream and the expanded playoff will provide a path for American teams to play at the highest level. And I'll double down on the Playoff talk. The case can be made that the best team in the American has an easier path to the Playoff now than middle-tier teams in the Power 5 conferences because there's no Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Clemson or Oregon waiting for it at the end of the road.

"SMU is accumulating talent at a very high level for a Group of 5 team. It picked up a pair of commitments this month in four-star teammates Jordan Hudson and Chace Biddle, who rank among the top 115 players nationally. They will join an SMU roster that has four-star quarterback Preston Stone, a top-115 player who signed with the Mustangs in the 2021 class.

"The SMU sales pitch has staying power. It is a great academic school, it's made strides in connecting with the greater Dallas community and its fun brand of football can lead to competing at the highest level. When a top-tier four-star prospect chooses SMU now, it turns heads, but that could become a regular occurrence in the near future. Sonny Dykes has recruited Dallas very well, and as Group of 5 teams gain more inclusion in the system, there is less reason for top-tier prospects to leave the state.

"I'm not sure how much Baylor, TCU and Texas Tech have to "fear" SMU. We're talking about a state that has 53 players in the top 400 prospects nationally. There is more than enough to go around. But if I were to buy stock in any team after this transitional summer, I could be convinced that SMU is the best place for my money."

[AusTxPony]

Kudos to Dykes and the Staff. Winning 10 games consistantly is the next challenge.

[geezerdonk]

No. Here's a clue - East Carolina (that's right East Carolina) 52 SMU 38.
Let's see - there's Texas, A&M, Houston, TCU, Tech, Baylor so SMU is a solid seventh for now (maybe) unless I have forgotten some other schools. And look out for UTSA

[PerunaPunch]

BECOMING...

The evidence for SMU becoming a top team as cited by Mr. Wasserman haven't even hit the field yet.

[EastStang]

I think it all depends on injuries and our new QB's. We don't have the depth of Baylor and TCU. If we can keep our top players on the field this year, we should be able to make some waves.

[PonyFan]

True -- health is vital. QB play is as big a wild card this year as in any year I remember. Mordecai got recruited to OU for a reason but didn't win the job, and Stone was on everyone's radar as a recruit but he's a freshman, so who knows? If either lives up to his potential, the Ponies might be damned good ... assuming good health.