New day, new feeling: Life after Preston Stone's big day

Preston Stone woke up Sunday morning alert, yet collected. Eager, yet tranquil.

Exhilarated, yet fulfilled.

One of the best quarterbacks in the country, regardless of classification -- and one of the biggest recruiting names in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex -- didn't have to worry about college anymore. Saturday afternoon, Stone stood with his family during halftime of the All-American Bowl in San Antonio and, in front of a nationally televised audience, uttered the words every SMU fan had been hoping to hear since he was first offered by the Mustangs as a freshman at Parish Episcopal School on Feb. 23, 2018.

"For the next four years, I'll be attending Southern Methodist University." Stone said.

And just like that, the burden that so many highly touted athletes speak about regarding the recruiting process left from Stone.

READ: Preston Stone breaks down historic SMU commitment

Sunday morning was a different feeling, one where the 2021 prospect didn't have to think.

All he had to do now ... was do.

"It's a big weight off my shoulders knowing I don't have to think about this every day," Stone said. "Knowing what the future will be like ... to be honest, I'm just excited the whole recruiting process is over."

Exactly who did SMU land as a player? Since the inception of the recruiting ratings system in the early 2000s, SMU literally has had only a couple other four-star prospects in their respective recruiting classes. Stone, who is flirting with a five-star status per Rivals.com, is SMU's highest-ranked commit ever, per the modern-day system.

That obviously doesn't include legendary Mustangs like Michael Carter, Craig James, Harvey Armstrong or, perhaps arguably the greatest to put on an SMU uniform, Eric Dickerson, but for Stone, it's an honor to be considered one of the most important SMU commits ever.

In speaking with Stone, it's also something that he honestly isn't focusing wholeheartedly on.

"That's something that's really cool to hear, but my commitment isn't as much about me as it is the future of SMU," he said. "My biggest goal going into this is to help put SMU on the map.

"Coach [Sonny] Dykes changed the culture when he got here. That became evident when they won 10 games. That kind of attention is what I want. I'm staying away from everything else. I just want to help SMU win a national championship."

Stone's decision to choose SMU was a welcomed distraction for Dykes, who currently is vacationing with family in Mexico. Immediately following the announcement in San Antonio, Stone's father made a call to Dykes to share the good news.

"He couldn't contain his excitement," Stone said of Dykes. "He's such a personable coach, so it was cool to see how super-excited he was that it's official."

Stone became the first-ever junior to declare at the All-American Bowl, which he has verbally committed to play in next January. And he chose SMU over a long offer list of Power 5 heavyweights. He has 42 reported offers, and his top schools were SMU, Texas, LSU, Penn State and USC. Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan, Georgia and others offered, but didn't make the cut.

When asked on television why he chose SMU, Stone kept his answer simple, yet succinct.

"Dallas is my home," he said. "I love the city. I love SMU. I've been a Mustang since before I could walk."

The SMU legacy continues in the Stone household. His father Ted is an alum. His brother Parker is a wide receiver on the SMU roster.

"It's unbelievably surreal," Stone said of potentially playing alongside his brother. "I don't think there are many people who can say they played with their brother in elementary school, high school, been coached by him, and now get to play with him in college. I remember being up in bed thinking about throwing touchdown passes to him."

For that reason -- and others -- Stone will always say choosing SMU was an easy decision. He's grown up watching SMU and wanted to be a hometown hero on the gridiron of sorts.

He's done that at Parish. This past season, Stone led Parish to a TAPPS Division I state championship. The 6-2, 205-pound, dual-threat quarterback threw for 3,721 yards and 37 touchdowns. He completed 68% of his passes and threw only four interceptions in 338 attempts. Stone also rushed for 876 yards and 11 touchdowns this past season.

Incredible stat here: In three seasons, Stone has thrown for 9,739 yards and 110 touchdowns. He's also rushed for 1,536 yards and 24 touchdowns.

"Stone is someone with a strong arm and the ability to make every throw," Rivals.com recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman said, "but where he stands out from the pack is his uncanny ability to improvise, throw on the run, extend plays and still make accurate throws with touch or zip and make it look easy.

"Stone reminds me of current Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers for his ability to throw off-balanced or across his chest and still find his receivers in stride, or take off and pick up big yardage with his legs. He is a playmaker that simply plays the quarterback position."

Stone has often been compared to Johnny Manziel for his ability to make things happen on the fly. He wears No. 2 as a semi-tribute to Manziel, a player he grew up studying while Manziel was at Texas A&M.

Many coaches saw his potential early. SMU was one of the first schools to offer Stone. It helps that SMU director of recruiting Scott Nady has known Stone since he was in elementary school. Before joining the SMU staff, Nady built Parish's football program as the longtime head coach. Parish won state titles in 2010 and 2014 under Nady.

"He's just a great guy to know," Stone said of Nady. "He's built a great relationship with me since he got there. I really trust him and all the coaching staff."

And now the two will continue the relationship at SMU -- assuming Stone signs his national letter of intent with the Mustangs this upcoming December, which he plans on doing.

Playing for the city. That's something SMU has stressed since Dykes arrived on campus in 2017. Recruiting the best talent around the Metroplex and keeping the talent close to home is the primary objective.

It's a selling point for Stone, as well, one that he has made a part of his personal recruiting spiel.

"My biggest goal is to get all the best guys in Dallas to stay in Dallas," Stone said. "Everyone SMU needs to become a national title contender is in Dallas. If we can get those guys to stay, it'll be game over."

Stone didn't mention any players to seek by name, but he did take a picture with Garland Lakeview Centennial five-star running back Camar Wheaton following Saturday's announcement in San Antonio. Both flashed the Pony Ears.

Duncanville five-star offensive tackle Savion Byrd has been a longtime target for SMU. As has Dallas Skyline four-star receiver Quaydarius Davis, who was a one-time SMU commit.

There are quite a few players to keep an eye on now that Stone has committed to the Mustangs. He's that influential when it comes to recruiting, and players around him know that he can put up huge numbers.

"Dykes and his staff emphasized recruiting Dallas-Fort Worth prospects, and they hit the jackpot on Saturday with Stone," Spiegelman said. "Given their success recruiting their home turf in 2020 and now 2021, I expect more highly rated prospects locally and across the state to want to team up with Texas' No. 1 passer."

Stone will be expected to succeed Shane Buechele at the quarterback spot. He will arrive on campus as Buechele finishes his final year of eligibility. It's an opportunity he's extremely excited about -- even with college life being over a year away.

Stone's decision was made a long time ago, and after Saturday, he can now relish in it and also enjoy the time becoming the best quarterback possible in preparation for life on the Hilltop.

"They took a chance on me before many of the big schools did," Stone said. "For me, being 15-year-old kid, getting a chance like that, that was super surreal for me.

"Coach Dykes is taking the program to levels it hasn't seen in years. The culture he's established is really attractive to me. Seeing the numbers Shane put up was ridiculous. They were seventh in scoring in the country. I really can't say enough about it all."