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Per Scout.com Joey Fontana has just committed to SMU.

http://smu.scout.com/2/779875.html

Sweet.

With all these OL commits, we better have a dominant line in three years.

Fantastic news! Welcome to The Hilltop, Joey!

Per Scout my giddy aunt Mildred...

Fontana's commitment was posted on PonyFans.com on July 25th by Big Easy Pony and confirmed by our man Scoops later that afternoon.

Although it's now three weeks later, I'm still glad Joey is coming to the Hilltop.

Don' be jealous Webmaster, just enjoy the moment.

Welcome to SMU, Joey!

Somewhere our man BUS is raising a glass - this is fantastic news!

WAY TO GO, COACHES!

We're not jealous. We've been enjoying this particular moment for the last three weeks.

I know that Hawaii got a LOT of positive press in New Orleans before the Sugar Bowl, with a lot of the coverage focused on JJ. I wonder if SMU's recruiting success in Louisiana is partially due to that--it definitely did not hurt. Anyway, congratulations to SMU for beating out Tulane, Nebraska, Arkansas, Kentucky, Southern Mississippi, Louisiana Tech and Central Florida for an excellent OL recruit.

Thanks Garret.

I wouldn't be surprised if you're right, that the Sugar Bowl press about June Jones has helped a lot down there. Rumor has it a lot of Louisiana players either are looking at SMU or at least considered us, and I'd bet many are guys we wouldn't have gotten before, or even gotten a serious look from.

Either way .... CONGRATULATIONS, COACHES!

Scooper,

Have you heard anything new on the other lineman you reported in the "hopeful" pipeline?

Word is that one of the SMU coaches has heavy LA ties. And Fontana had not made up his mind until tonight.

which SMU coach(es) were involved in recruiting Fontana?

Scoops wrote:Thanks Garret.

I wouldn't be surprised if you're right, that the Sugar Bowl press about June Jones has helped a lot down there. Rumor has it a lot of Louisiana players either are looking at SMU or at least considered us, and I'd bet many are guys we wouldn't have gotten before, or even gotten a serious look from.

Either way .... CONGRATULATIONS, COACHES!

Scoops,

I'm guessing that the 3 or 4 weeks of positive press JJ got in the Louisiana papers had to have helped. Every paper focused on the turnaround at Hawaii, the records the offense set, etc. SMU has an opportunity to open a Louisiana pipeline, especially after getting recruits like Fontana.

As a Hawaii fan I actually would like SMU to focus more recruiting in Texas and Louisiana and not spend much time in CA or Hawaii. Similar offenses mean that the schools will go after similar players, so the less overlap the better IMHO. Hawaii doesn't have the recruiting budget to go after many Louisiana players and is focusing mainly on HI, CA, and NV.

Garret wrote:

Scoops wrote:Thanks Garret.

I wouldn't be surprised if you're right, that the Sugar Bowl press about June Jones has helped a lot down there. Rumor has it a lot of Louisiana players either are looking at SMU or at least considered us, and I'd bet many are guys we wouldn't have gotten before, or even gotten a serious look from.

Either way .... CONGRATULATIONS, COACHES!

Scoops,

I'm guessing that the 3 or 4 weeks of positive press JJ got in the Louisiana papers had to have helped. Every paper focused on the turnaround at Hawaii, the records the offense set, etc. SMU has an opportunity to open a Louisiana pipeline, especially after getting recruits like Fontana.

As a Hawaii fan I actually would like SMU to focus more recruiting in Texas and Louisiana and not spend much time in CA or Hawaii. Similar offenses mean that the schools will go after similar players, so the less overlap the better IMHO. Hawaii doesn't have the recruiting budget to go after many Louisiana players and is focusing mainly on HI, CA, and NV.

Garret,

We have connections with Matre Dei,Servite, and several other CA high schools that we will continue to keep. I don't see SMU backing out of CA.

very informative article out of the New Orleans paper.

http://blog.nola.com/prepsports/2008/08 ... her_m.html