By John Peres / Special contributor to PonyFans.com

Last year’s District 20-5A co-MVP and first-team quarterback Darrell Colbert is one of the Mustangs' most athletic commitments. The second player to join SMU’s 2014 class back in February is the leader of the offense on a Lamar High School football team that reached the 2012 state championship game, and one of three Redskins bound for Dallas in 2014.

Colbert threw for 2,536 yards and 30 touchdowns while helping to lead Lamar High School to the state championship game (photo by Lamar High School).

Colbert does not just showcase his athleticism on the gridiron; he also competes on Lamar's track team. In March, he competed at the Houston Relays, taking first place in the triple jump with a distance of 41 feet, 2.5 inches.

But Colbert’s athleticism is not his only asset. According to Lamar wide receiver Shelby Walker, who has committed to join Colbert and Lamar center Braylon Hyder in signing with the Mustangs next February, Colbert also exhibits the qualities of leadership and a strong drive to win.

“He’s an ultimate competitor and has only one goal on his mind, to win," Walker said. "He leads by example and trusts his teammates very well.”

In fact, Colbert took part in this year’s Elite 11 Chicago, ranking in the top five and went home with a coveted Golden Gun Accuracy jersey.

“The Elite 11 was a good camp, I competed very well," Colbert said. "I made it into 'the pressure cooker,' which is the top five quarterbacks at the camp, so that was good.”

Colbert also was named recently on rivals.com's list of the top 100 players in Texas. While Colbert was honored, prefers to let his play on the field do the talking for him.

“It means a great deal to be in the top 100, but to me, ratings really do not mean anything," Colbert said, "because you can be ranked high and not do anything on the field. So if I was not ranked, I would be OK, because what I do on the field speaks for me.”

If there is a knock on Colbert, it's his size. Colbert stands 5-11 and weighs 172 pounds. His lack like of prototypical quarterback frame, along with 4.53 40-yard dash speed made other schools want to move him to another skill position.

“My height is really the reason a lot of schools haven’t offered me," Colbert said. "My speed and height have made some of them want to recruit me at another position.”

However, this did not dismay SMU receivers coach Jason Phillips from recruiting him for the Mustangs.

“Coach Phillips is a great guy," Colbert said. "I knew him back when he was at (the University of Houston). Every time he would come up to Lamar, he would check-in on me and told me nothing but good things about SMU. From the day SMU offered me, they said that I was being offered to play quarterback and only quarterback. That was my main reason for committing there. I wanted to go where someone was going to give me a chance to play quarterback. It did not matter what school it was, I just wanted my shot to play quarterback and SMU has given me the chance to do so.”