SMU Mixes Transfers, HS Signees to Build Solid Class for ACC Debut
DALLAS — SMU’s final 2024 recruiting class won’t be prominently featured in any recruiting websites, but Mustang fans should be excited about the direction the program is headed. Especially after listening to Greg Tepper and Greg Powers of Dave Campbell Texas Football discuss the Mustangs’ latest video breakdown of SMU’s 2024 Recruiting Class.
“A lot of guys are coming back to Texas from out-of-state and I think they are the No. 1 spot for transfer portal talent,” Powers said. “One reason I think they are successful in the transfer portal era is the location of the school and opportunity. They offer a lot of opportunities to be successful in life after football. Guys who are transferring in the transfer portal have to realize sometimes is football is very important, a fleeting timeline.”
Seven of SMU’s transfer signees are played their high school football in Texas and all but two had left the Lone Star state for their first college football seasons. This includes two players who Tepper and Powers highlighted in their discussion about players coming home to Texas was a pair of Oklahoma offensive linemen, Nate Anderson and Savion Byrd.
Anderson is a redshirt junior transfer from Oklahoma. The 6-4 offensive lineman played in all 12 games last season for the Sooners, mostly on special teams. He was a four-star prospect coming out of Rick Reedy High School and No. 9 overall prospect in Texas.
Byrd is a redshirt sophomore from Oklahoma. He started four games at left guard last season for the Sooners, including a 28-11 Oklahoma victory against SMU. An injury against Tulsa limited his action during the middle of the season, but Byrd returned to the starting lineup against Kansas in October.
“I like what SMU does as hybrid collaboration between the transfer portal and Texas high school football talents and other states across the country,” Powers said. “They want to sign some really good high school football players, maybe 40-50 percent ,and the rest is made up from transfer portal.”
It’s a formula that could be successful as SMU heads into the ACC next season.
Transfer Signees
• Omari Abor, 6-3, Sophomore, DL, Duncanville, Texas, Ohio State, Duncanville HS
• Nate Anderson, 6-4, Redshirt Junior, OL, Frisco, Texas, Oklahoma, Rick Reedy HS
• Anthony Booker Jr., 6-4, Redshirt Senior, DL, Cincinnati, Ohio, Arkansas, Maryland, Winton Woods HS
• Blake Burris, 6-5, Sophomore, DL, Irving, Texas, Texas Tech, Parish Episcopal
• Savion Byrd, 6-5, Redshirt Sophomore, OL, Cedar Hill, Texas, Oklahoma, Duncanville HS
• Ashton Cozart, 6-3, Redshirt Freshman, WR, Flower Mound, Texas, Oregon, Marcus HS
• Deuce Harmon, 5-10, Junior, DB, Corinth, Texas, Texas A&M, Denton Guyer HS
• Jonathan Jefferson, 6-3, Redshirt Junior, DL, Douglasville, Ga., Georgia, Douglas County HS
• Mike Lockhart, 6-4, Redshirt Sophomore, DL, Birmingham, Ala., West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Huffman HS
• Justin Medlock, 6-0, Redshirt Freshman, LB, Missouri City, Texas, Utah, Manvel HS
• Isaac Pearson, 6-2, Redshirt Freshman, P, Newcastle, Australia, Texas, University of Newcastle
• Brashard Smith, 5-10, Junior, WR, Richmond Heights, Fla., Miami, Miami Palmetto HS
High School Signees
• Tyler Aronson, 6-2, QB, Vero Beach, Fla., Vero Beach HS
• Brandon Booker, 6-1, LB, DeSoto, Texas, DeSoto HS
• Ka'Davion Dotson-Walker I 5-11, DB, Duncanville, Texas, Duncanville HS
• King Large I 6-5 I OT I Bellflower, Calif. I St. John Bosco HS
• Derrick McFall I 5-11, WR/RB, Tyler, Texas I Tyler HS
• Jaylen Moses I 5-10, S I Carrollton, Texas I Newman Smith HS
• William "Speedy" Nettles I 6-0, WR/DB I Mesquite, Texas I Dallas Christian School
• Alexander Rodgers I 5-10 I DB, Dallas, Texas I Cedar Hill HS
• Zach Smith I 6-1, LB I Red Oak, Texas I Red Oak HS
• Graham Uter I 6-5 I OT I Daphne, Ala. I Bayside Academy
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