This article is part of a series previewing SMU football's 2020 football roster. Today, we discuss the players wearing Nos. 21-25.
SMU has its share of young players looking to make a name for themselves in the 2020 season. Many of them wear jersey numbers between 21 and 25. The SMU football fanbase still awaits which athlete will have the honor of wearing No. 23 for the season.
Since 2009, SMU has selected a senior player to wear No. 23 to honor Jerry LeVias. The Mustangs, coincidentally, have 23 seniors on the roster, according to the current SMU football website.
Today, The HillTopics takes a look at the players on the 2020 SMU roster wearing Nos. 21-25.
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SMU continues to work with a handful of young running backs, and sophomore TaMerik Williams hopes to see more time on the field. Williams, who wears No. 21, played in six games last season and only had 25 yards on 10 carries last year. He's got size at 5-11 and 235 pounds, and he's hoping to be the lead back for the Mustangs in 2020. On defense, safety Donald Clay also will wear No. 21. The 6-0, 190-pound defensive back played in three games but ended up redshirting last season.
A member of the 2020 signing class, safety Karl Taylor has been assigned No. 22 for the upcoming season. The 6-0, 180-pound athlete comes to the Hilltop after a stellar high school career in west Texas at Midland (Texas) Lee. He'll have every shot to see starter's minutes early in his career -- and his intentions are to take an upperclassman's job.
Junior linebacker Jimmy Phillips Jr. didn't put up gaudy numbers last year, but he did play in all 13 games. Of his nine tackles, seven were solo. Phillips will wear No. 24 and, at 6-0 and 224 pounds, is looking to battle for a starting spot at a position loaded with depth for the Mustangs.
Williams will fight for the starting running back spot, but many believe the incumbent starter is sophomore TJ McDaniel. The 5-11, 194-pounder played in 11 games last season, but it was his September performance against Texas State that turned him into one to watch. He rushed for 159 yards and three touchdowns on only eight carries and became only the third freshman in SMU history to rush for 150-plus yards and three touchdowns in a game.
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Today: Nos. 21-25
