SMU took a major blow earlier this week as an elite four-star quarterback Keelon Russell changed his commitment from the Mustangs to the Crimson Tide of Alabama.
The move wasn’t a surprise given the level of interest Alabama had expressed in Russell in recent months and Russell’s openness that the Tide could very well be his final choice.
But now that Alabama has lured him, SMU has an open spot at quarterback in the 2025 class that they hoped they wouldn’t have to return. I doubt they’ll just choose not to bring anyone in after Russell’s departure, so I would expect them to eventually add someone to the class. SMU has a promising future as a new member of the power four, as well as a strong NIL presence. So what are some options SMU might look at to fill the open position? Let’s take a look.
My #1 choice for the location
Adam Friedman/Rivals.com
SMU lost the No. 1 quarterback in the state of Texas, so why not go for No. 2 in the state? San Antonio (Texas) Johnson four stars Ty Hawkins had an incredible offseason his senior season after throwing for 4,260 passing yards and 54 touchdowns to just 12 interceptions in two varsity seasons as a quarterback.
Hawkins, an Elite 11 finalist, is committed to TCU it has been a whole year, but SMU, which has great support from NIL, may have the resources to remove it. Hawkins would still be playing among the Power Four and arguably a program with a brighter immediate future than TCU.
Another reason for SMU to pursue Hawkins would be the potential playmakers they could pursue. There are wide receivers in the state of Texas who were interested in TCU simply because of the idea of playing with Hawkins. SMU, which already has a four-star commitment Daylon Singleton and three stars Xavier JohnsonThey could sell the idea of playing with a top-tier talent, just like they were doing with Russell.
Dallas-Based Options
The SMU team is looking to prioritize recruiting in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, as it should be. When filling out the class, they look at Dallas first and then expand when necessary. There are few DFW prospects that SMU could consider.
Wisconsin commit Landyn Locke out of Rockwall has been committed to the Badgers for a year, but there could be some interest in staying closer to home. SMU had previously offered Locke, who is 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds. As a junior, he threw for 1,702 yards and 19 touchdowns to four interceptions, completing 60% of his passes.
Dallas Christian Quarterback Lucas Carney is a lower-rated four-star prospect who has committed to Syracuse earlier this year. Extremely talented in his high school career, Carney threw for 8,160 yards and 91 touchdowns. As a junior, he completed a ridiculous 80% of his passes on 248 attempts.
Desoto’s Kelden Ryan has committed Virginia Technology since last July, but only for others who are committed to programs in different parts of the country, staying at home may be attractive. The Mustangs already have commitments from two Desoto prospects in the aforementioned Singleton and defense Sael Reyes. SMU was an early offer for Ryan in 2021.
Another option that might be intriguing is three-star Austin (Texas) Lake Travis Chaston Ditta. He had a smaller sample size than the others, with just one starting season under his belt, but there’s a lot to like. He holds double-digit offers from programs like UNLV, UNT, Arkansas State and Marshall.
Out of the box options
If SMU isn’t interested in the diverse options in the Dallas area, they could look across the country, both for uncommitted prospects and those they think could make a move.
Severn (Md.) four-star quarterback Malik Washington is a 6-foot-2, 200-pound big prospect who remains uncommitted. He made some official visits to Virginia Tech, UCFSyracuse and Maryland. He also has a visit to Maryland ahead of him.
Warner Robins (Georgia) Houston County Four stars Mount Antwann was previously committed to Colorado, but now has Florida and Memphis as the pair in great contention. Another great prospect at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds.
A little closer to Texas is the three-star Edmond (Okla.) Memorial David McComb. McComb is committed to Kansas, but the resources SMU is making available could be attractive.
