Freshman wide receiver JaBryce Taylor has caught the attention of head coach June Jones during the first three days of preseason camp (photo by PonyFans.com).

• Tuesday marked the Mustangs’ first day working out in shoulder pads. Prior to today’s workout, the Ponies worked out in in helmets, shorts and jerseys.

• NFL scouts have returned. Tuesday’s session was watched by scouts from the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders.

• Also in attendance was former SMU safety Ryan Smith, whose 2012 season ended prematurely because of an injury to his Achilles tendon. Smith works nearby and said he will visit practice when he can (“I realized they were starting camp without me,” he said), and weighed in on several topics:

—> Fellow safety Jay Scott, Smith said, is an “NFL Draft-worthy player” because of his production, size and understanding of the defense. “If he has the kind of year I expect him to, he’ll get drafted. When (NFL scouts) see his size, how he moves, how he is in coverage … and his tackling has improved a lot — he was really solid last year. They’ll know he can play. The game has really slowed down for him, and his confidence is really good. I think he was kind of under the radar, and maybe he liked that, but he won’t be under the radar this year.”

—> The performance of Hayden Greenbauer — who finished the season in Smith’s former spot and returned the interception against Fresno State in the Hawaii Bowl that allowed SMU to tie the all-time NCAA record for touchdowns on interception returns — surprised a lot of people, but not Smith. “‘Greenie’ is a student of the game,” Smith said. “Everyone’s going to go through a learning curve, but when he got his chance, he had already been here for a couple of years, so he knew what (secondary) Coach (Derrick) Odum and (defensive coordinator) Coach (Tom) Mason want. He knew the system, and he knew exactly how it’s supposed to work. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you’re not in the right place, you can’t make plays. ‘Greenie’ is very talented, very strong, he likes to do the dirty work. When it was his turn, he was ready, and he did the job. You ask the guys on this team who know him, and I bet it didn’t surprise anyone. He’s a good player.”

—> One of the biggest differences Smith said he expects to see this year is in safety Shakiel Randolph, who got thrown into the fire last year as a true freshman. The 2013 version, Smith said, is a much more mature Randolph. “I think you’ll see a lot of growth and maturity in him,” Smith said. “You know he’s going to be good — he’s a great athlete, and a great student, a really smart guy. But like I said, there’s a real learning curve, and playing in the secondary, that learning curve can really get exposed, because a mistake can mean a touchdown, or at least a big play, for the other team. He knows what he’s doing know. He knows where he wants to be, and what it takes to get there. I think he’ll be a lot better this year.”

—> Smith said that one of the disappointments of the 2012 season was the season-ending injuries suffered by cornerbacks J.R. Richardson and Horace Richardson. “They were both playing really well before they got hurt,” Smith said. “They look like they’re back to being comfortable, they look like they’re moving really well. Those guys have a lot of talent, so getting them back will be big.”

• The SMU freshmen (and upperclass newcomers) have a different look than in years past. Everyone can get stronger, and some will continue to get taller. But this year, more than any in recent memory, is a far cry from the years when coaches assured fans and media alike that players would grow, and be useful players two or three years in the future. This is not to suggest they’re all ready to play, but it’s harder this year to look at the throng of players on the field and automatically identify the freshmen because of glaring physical differences. Guys like Jeremiah Gaines, Jerry Saene, Justin Lawler, JaBryce Taylor, Zelt Minor, Mason Gentry, Jesse Montgomery, etc., look the part. Yes, they need to get stronger, and yes, they need coaching, etc., but the starting point is a lot higher this year than it sometimes has been. In addition, after watching the players go through their optional conditioning workouts over the summer, a lot of this year’s freshmen clearly put in a lot of work in order to arrive in shape. There’s a difference between being in football shape and in being able to run a lot of sprints, but the class has a bunch of big guys who can run, which checks off two items on every coach’s wish list.

• One of the best players in practice Tuesday was freshman WR JaBryce Taylor, who made plays all day long, in skeleton (no defense) and seven-on-seven drills. In addition to the catches he “should make,” Taylor also turned in an array of more impressive grabs, including a diving snag of a throw inches off the ground (feet inbounds) and a leaping, twisting grab of a pass that was high and a little behind him and appeared headed out of bounds.

• The DBs also made plays in seven-on-seven drills, including an interception by S Hayden Greenbauer, who got caught leaning one way before twisting and lunging back in the direction from which he came to make the grab. In addition, freshman S Darrion Richardson continued to show his knack for being around the ball, forcing a fumble and recovering it in seven-on-seven drills, drawing shouts of approval from his teammates.

• WR/TE Jeremiah Gaines is going to be a handful for defenses when he gets his chance. The freshman from Red Oak, Texas has shown the ability to run and soft hands, and he runs good routes … but teams that try to shadow him with a safety might have to come up with a Plan B. At one point, he caught a pass over the middle and dragged two linebackers about 10 yards before the play ended.

• If the top receiver of the day was JaBryce Taylor, the second-best might have been Stephen Nelson, who also turned in a series of fine catches including a pair of diving grabs he made just above the ground.