For years, SMU has fielded one of the youngest teams in the nation. While head coach June Jones and his staff have raised the talent level on the Mustangs’ roster since their arrival in 2008, the team endured a crash course in the team’s new offensive and defensive systems last season, as every player on the roster was basically a freshman, learning a new scheme and filling new roles.

Mcjunkin took over as the Ponies' starting center midway through the 2008 season when Mitch Enright broke a finger (photo by Travis Johnston).

That learning curve continues, but according to sophomore center Blake McJunkin, there are indications that the changes SMU coaches, players and fans covet are, in fact, taking place.

The change McJunkin sees most frequently is in the defensive line, which he goes against every day in practice. JUCO transfer Marquis Frazier is expected to start at right defensive end, a leaner Chris Parham has coaches optimistic about his ability at nose tackle, and the arrival of Margus Hunt has drawn immense attention from fans and media alike. But the player who has impressed McJunkin the most during preseason workouts is sophomore defensive end Taylor Thompson. McJunkin said that Thompson, who has added about 30 pounds of muscle over the offseason, has made strides far greater than just in his strength.

“That’s grown, definitely, with him, but the main thing with Taylor — and I told him this yesterday — he’s picking up the mental side of playing football,” McJunkin said. “I’m no expert — I’m young, too — but I just see a difference in the way he carries himself, and he believes in himself and he’s got the confidence to go out there and make plays on Saturday and be an impact guy for us. He really believes in himself, and you can see that on the practice field. There’s no telling how good that guy can be.”

McJunkin said that Thompson’s bulked-up physique mirrors the overall change he has seen in the Ponies’ defensive line — a change he said will benefit the Mustangs on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

“They’re different,” he said. “There are some new guys in there now, and the returning guys’ bodies definitely have changed — that’s the main thing. So it makes everybody on defense better, when your D-line gets better, and it makes us get better on the O-line, because if we’re seeing guys as good as they are, then that’s only going to help us.”

Thompson, Frazier, Hunt, Kevin Grenier, Torlan Pittman and the rest of the SMU defensive ends are notably bigger and stronger than last year’s version, which included a slimmer Thompson and current linebacker Youri Yenga. While most of his work in practice comes against the interior defensive linemen, McJunkin squares off with the ends fairly regularly, when the defensive line employs stunts and twists, and he said the difference between last year’s ends and this year’s crop is blatantly clear.

“I’ll see the ends every now and then — more against the 4-3 — but against our guys, more when they run “nose in,” or “’backer in” or “smash” or whatever, but I do see them,” McJunkin said, “and they’re quite the load — they’re really strong.”

McJunkin said he also is impressed with the new faces on the Ponies’ offensive line, starting with sophomore J.T. Brooks, who is expected to take over the starting right tackle job after the graduation of Tommy Poynter and Vincent Chase.

McJunkin said "he's got the confidence to go out there and make plays on Saturday and be an impact guy for us," when asked about bulked up defensive end Taylor Thompson (photo by Webmaster).

“J.T. is a really hard worker,” McJunkin said. “He’s a guy who has lost 30 pounds, and gotten stronger, and he’s one of the best ‘in shape’ guys we’ve got right now. He’s got a really strong desire to do well, and in film he’s looking really good — we all have our things we’re working on, but I think he’ll be a really good tackle for us.”

The Ponies signed six freshman offensive linemen in February, and while the offensive line, perhaps more than any other position group, requires time for young players to mature physically and develop much-needed timing and chemistry with the players around them, McJunkin said several of the young guys already are making an impression on their new teammates.

“They all work hard, and what’s good is they’re all really wanting to do well,” he said. “(Bryan) Collins and (Jordan) Favreau and (Chris) Atchison and (Joey) Fontana — all four of those guys are really being asked to come in and compete, and put pressure on us who are a little older than they are, to make us better and hopefully get them in a game. But they’re all really working hard, and really trying hard to do well, and they’re already making vast improvement in their first few days in pads.”

McJunkin is battling with senior Mitch Enright at center, and has added considerable size and strength since last season to better handle the rigors of the position, and doesn’t seem to think he’s done growing.

“They have me listed at 262, but I’m about 275 right now,” he said. “I’ve lost three inches off my waist over this offseason, and I’m trying to do it (bulk up) the right way. I’m 19-and-a-half (years old) right now, still filling out. My dad (Kirk, who played at the University of Texas and with the Pittsburgh Steelers) was a late bloomer, and I’m trying to work hard and (build up) slowly, not get impatient. There’s a right way to get bigger, and that’s what I’m trying to do."