2017 linebacker loves what new SMU coaches are doing

While the SMU staff was busy working on the 2016s who visited for Junior Day, the staff did not forget about the class after that, getting some work in with the high school sophomores who also visited on Saturday.

One of those was Prosper linebacker John Brannon.

"It was fun, we showed up at 8:15 with (fellow 2017 linebacker) Anthony Hines. They made it really interesting," Brannon told the HillTopics. "It's a really pretty campus, they took us everywhere. They even took us to Dallas Hall; it was impressive. I forgot how nice their facilities were. They weren't making all the changes before with the old staff. Coach (Chad) Morris is doing a great job down there. He's turning it around and they will be really successful."

This was the first time that Brannon got a chance to meet the new SMU head coach.

"He's an intense guy," Brannon said. "You get feeling he's going to push all the athletes there, they're really going to benefit in these upcoming years."

Brannon also met some of the defensive coaches, especially the linebacker coach Archie McDaniel.

"We got along great, he's a really funny guy," Brannon said. "He said he's gonna come down to visit me (at Prosper) this spring so that made it easier to like him."

SMU defensive coordinator Van Malone made an impression on Brannon, too.

"He's a funny guy. He was walking around and said if we offered you, you should commit right now," Brannon said. "I've never heard a coach say that before at meetings. He came up and said to me and Anthony he wants to give a different feel of SMU."

This was the first time Brannon had been back to SMU since the new staff took over and he said it was a very different experience.

"It was kind of almost a shocked atmosphere (the last time he was at SMU) because June Jones had just resigned. They're prepared and can take anything now. It feels like they can win and win, even a national championship soon."

Brannon also got caught up in the some of the flash of the new SMU uniforms.

"I was impressed. It was some of the best gear I've seen. They had these silver cleats with chrome carbon fiber underneath, it was all sparkly. If I had to go anywhere for gear it would probably be there. Everyone was amazed; coach Morris said they were only going to buy the best, I believe them on that."

Brannon is going through a coaching transition of his own over at Prosper and is excited about the change in direction.

"It's going a lot better since coach (Chris) Ross from Leander got here. He brought in some new people, like a Midlothian assistant, and just ramped up the work. We've had five or six quit the team already. We were doing workouts on his command, doing a military press, and coach Ross will yell if you want to quit, the door is right there."

"It's my speed of coaches, intensity, demanding. When I got there it wasn't like that and that's what I grew up with. It's better to get back in the natural habitat."

Brannon and Hines will be heading to Lubbock on Friday for dinner with a Texas Tech coach before attending Junior Day at Tech. They also are trying to make it to Tulsa and Oklahoma State's Junior Days next weekend. Brannon is also getting interest from Washington, Baylor, South Carolina, TCU, Ole Miss and Arkansas.