Recruiting Question?

[Johnny Rock]

Could someone tell me the following: (1) how many scholarships we have for this recruiting year; (2) our current commitments; and (3) are we strongly pursuing any QBs since we signed Meeks and Phillips in the last recruiting class.

Thanks for anyone with information. Also, it is exciting to see so many quality players listing interest in SMU. It only was a few years ago that many of the highly rated players would not even consider us. Bennett really is making his impact felt around Texas. It is still not realistic that we can recruit with Texas and A&M, yet. But we certainly are giving Tech, TCU, Baylor, Rice, and Houston fits.

[Stallion]

we still aren't being listed by the number of top prospects in comparison to the other Texas schools(TCU, Tech, and Baylor for instance have MANY more interested prospects) but Bennett has done a pretty good job of working on those that are. Some on-field improvement is necessary I think to really become a bigger factor in Texas recruiting. Many of the kids mentioned on this board by the casual recruiting fan do not even appear to be true Division 1 prospects. Just because a kid makes the Rivals Database and lists 5 schools as his favorites doesn't make him a prospect-it probably just means he attended a Rivals Prospect Camp. I do get a kick out of some of you though commenting about whether a prospect is to small or too slow and coming to conclusion about whether SMU should "Go Get Him" based upon that limited info. A good prospect to me is someone who has been evaluated by the professionals(ie coaches) and is receiving offers and visits to quality programs. There are a few that the coaches don't find and they are "sleepers" who sometimes succeed in new schemes and because of their own hard work.

[This message has been edited by Stallion (edited 06-28-2003).]

[This message has been edited by Stallion (edited 06-28-2003).]

[Lotus]

1.
Well, by my count, the following players are graduating:
Chris Cunningham
Sterling Harris
Trent Hrncir
Jarrian James
Keylon Kincade
Ruben Moodley
Steve Reindl
Jonas Rutledge

That's 8. I believe Warrie Birdwell and Kelan Luker's scholarships were filled in February, but I don't think Leroy Price's 'ship has been filled. So that would be 9.

Then there's the question of Daniel Francis, whether he'll be back in 2004. If he doesn't return, then there's one more, giving us 10. And with natural overturning of a roster (someone quitting football, leaving school, academic issues, etc.), you can probably count on a few more scholarships opening up. I'd bet that come February, we'll have around 15 to give.

2.
Our current commitments are TE Vincent Chase and DB Jonathan Lindley. WR Bobby Chase is spending a semester at junior college, with the understanding that if he maintains a suitable academic performance in classes that transfer, he too will be able to come to SMU, enrolling in January and going through spring drills. So some services are calling him an official commitment while others aren't. I'd say that as long as he remembers to go to class, he'll be fine, so I'm calling our commitment total at 3.

3.
As far as quarterbacks go, the only one I know of that we're actively pursuing is Drew Weatherford (6-3, 205), from Land O'Lakes, Fla. He's a highly regarded prospect (should be a 4-star recruit when most services do their rankings), and he has ties to SMU - his father and grandfather both played for the Ponies. But he's coveted by a lot of coaches. He's a longtime Florida State fan, and if he gets an offer from the Seminoles, he likely will end up there, from what I've read. As far as I can tell, he has offers from Auburn, Tennessee, Louisville, South Carolina, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, Syracuse and SMU. He passed for 2,494 yards and 37 touchdowns as junior, and the list of teams pursuing him likely will grow, so he's still a longshot for SMU, even with his family ties to the Hilltop.

My guess is that the SMU coaches will try to sign a quarterback in just about every class, but they have to feel much better about the status of the position this year than they did entering last season. Tate Wallis and Richard Bartel were relative unknowns last year - now they know what they have at the position. Ashton Nixon is an athletic, if inexperienced, third-stringer. And Ricky Joe Meeks and Chris Phillips are a massive upgrade from the walk-ons who filled in at practice. Expect both to redshirt (barring injuries to both Bartel and Wallis). So while the SMU coaches probably would like to sign a QB this year, it's certainly not imperitive. I assume their focus will like elsewhere.

[Pony Up]

I'm not sure how you got from 10 to 15 scholarships, Lotus. I sure hope we don't lose 5 guys.

[Mickey]

Lotus, You left Bischoff and DD Johnson off your SR list.

[No Quarter]

Surprised to hear (Lotus' post) that Wake is after Drew Weatherford. I thought they got that Ohio QB who set a new national HS record last year for career passing yardage, etc., etc. Or did the Ohio player go somewhere else.

I understand that if Florida State offers they probably have him bagged, but hope SMU keeps trying.

[Lotus]

Thanks Mickey!