SMU offered 2026 Duncanville defensive end Landon Barnes on January 8. The Hilltopics caught up with him to discuss his offer from the Mustangs.
What you need to know...
...Barnes also has offers from California, North Texas, Arizona State, Nevada, Houston, Toledo, Louisiana Tech, Arkansas State, Duke, UNLV, UTEP, Texas State, Oklahoma State, Boise State, Washington, Texas Tech, Memphis, UTSA, and San Diego State.
...This season, he finished with 43 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, eight quarterback hurries, four sacks, and a fumble recovery in 13 games for the Panthers.
...He was named an All-District 11-6A Second Team selection.
Duncanville went 13-1 and made it to the state semifinals before falling to eventual state champion North Crowley. How did the season go for you and team-wise: "I had a great season, but I'm definitely hungry for more. We played hard and played as a team. I appreciate our coaches and team for working hard all season. We had a great season. We'll definitely be back at AT&T Stadium."
The recruiting process: "I'm enjoying my recruiting process. It's truly a blessing. I'm working hard and staying humble, and it's being noticed. All glory to God."
Receiving an offer from SMU: "I talked to Coach Symons (defensive coordinator Scott Symons), Coach Sam Dunnam, and Coach Thibbs (defensive line coach Calvin Thibodeaux). I've been in communication with the SMU coaches for a little while, so the conversation was genuine. I'm extremely blessed to receive an offer from SMU. They have a great football program as well as great academic programs."
Seadon game-day visits: "I had a couple of game day visits at SMU. I was focused on the season and my workouts and didn't get a chance to attend any out-of-town game day visits. I'm looking forward to going to more game day visits this upcoming season."
Upcoming visits: "I'm looking forward to upcoming visits with Arizona State and SMU."
Thoughts on the SMU football program: "SMU has great coaches, and they stay tapped in with their players. I love how they play as a team. Coach Lashlee has a great football program and coaching staff."
What he is looking for in a program: "I'm looking for a football program that has great coaches who build solid player/coach relationships and have a family-oriented environment."
