Brandon Bonds

[giacfsp]

If Brandon Bonds turns out to be as good as his brother Byron, then Coach Bennett got an absolute steal. Remember, Byron's teams weren't as talented as the current Ponies, and he still played himself into an NFL prospect. With better players around him, maybe Brandon could do the same. Whether or not that actually happens, I'm looking forward to seeing him collapse the pocket and stuff the run.

[Ikus]

If there's a way to add DE Ryan Johnson (I think he's also at Carter, and being recruited by a bunch of national heavyweights), the defensive line would come together nicely. In a hurry.

[Corso]

Adding Johnson would bring some major attention to SMU. Alas, it ain't gonna happen.

[Vitale]

I went back and read Bonds' bio in the PonyFans.com Recruiting Roundup, which had some interesting points:

(From his HS coach Lance Angel): "He reminds me a little of the defensive tackle they have at North Texas, Brandon Kennedy. Everyone said he was too short, and he's turned into a great player. Brandon (Bonds) can do the same things he can."

(From Bonds): "My biggest strength is my ability to get to the ball. I've got good quickness, kind of like Byron did. I'm definitely still growing - I'd say I'll still add another two or three inches."

"I do a little of everything for the defense here - I stop the run, I collapse the pocket, I rush the passer."

(SMU coach Phil Bennett): "Brandon is a guy who gets taller as he gets closer to you. He's so strong and so thick that when you look at him, he doesn't look that tall. Then, as you get closer to him, he seems to get taller. If he's 305, we haven't had that kind of size around here in a while. We need someone who can cancel out the gaps in the line.
He's a 'chunk' but he's very quick."

Could it be that Bonds turns out to be the steal of this year's class?

[GoRedGoBlue]

Bennett said that he would start