This article is part of a series previewing SMU football's 2020 football roster. Today, we discuss the players wearing Nos. 6-10.
All eyes will be on the SMU players wearing single-digit numbers in 2020. The HillTopics discusses the players to wear Nos. 1-5, but many of the plays, offensively, are expected to be made this season with two players wearing numbers between 6-10.
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SMU has two players who will wear No. 6 this season. Austin Upshaw will wear the number on offense, while Sam Westfall will wear it on defense. Upshaw is a 6-1, 215-pound junior receiver who was having a standout spring before COVID-19 shut things down globally. Upshaw saw time primarily on special teams in 2019. Westfall is a 5-11, 181-pound junior cornerback looking to crack a competitive secondary depth chart.
SMU doesn't win 10 games in 2019, and the expectations for another spectacular season may not be as good for 2020 if quarterback Shane Buechele isn't in the picture. Buechele wears No. 7 and is in his final year of eligibility as a graduate student. The 6-1, 207-pounder is the cover for Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine after setting school records for passing yards (3,929), passing touchdowns (34) and single-game passing touchdowns (6) last season.
Buechele's primary target this year is expected to be the player wearing No. 8. Reggie Roberson Jr. is a 6-0, 200-pound senior speedster who put up monster numbers despite only playing eight games before being sidelined with a foot injury. He had 43 catches for 803 yards six touchdowns and averaged 100.4 receiving yards per game. Roberson was on the Biletnikoff Award watch list in 2019, and he could be a legitimate contender for the award if he stays healthy in 2020.
All eyes will be on Buechele at quarterback, but sophomore Will Brown is a talented prospect at the position. Brown is a 6-3, 220-pound sophomore who is now healthy after suffering a knee injury last season. Brown will wear No. 9 on offense, while linebacker Shaine Hailey wears No. 9 on defense for the Mustangs. A 5-11, 215-pound senior, Hailey had 13 tackles in 10 games played last season. He will look for playing time behind guys like Delano Robinson, Richard McBryde, Richard Moore and Trevor Denbow.
Brown will battle to be the heir apparent to Buechele, but redshirt freshman Terrance Gipson will make his case for starter's minutes. The 6-0, 193-pounder has a great arm and is super athletic in and out of the pocket. He will wear No. 10 on offense, while Oklahoma transfer Ty DeArman will wear No. 10 on defense. DeArman comes from the Big 12 and is looking for his first action as a college player. He had 142 tackles his senior year at Arlington Bowie.
