SMU Football hosted its 2025 Junior Day on Saturday afternoon and had quite the turnout. The recruits were able to meet up and spend time with the coaching staff, tour the facilities, and take in the SMU Men's Basketball 81-65 win over Stanford.
The Hilltopics caught up with some of the prospects in attendance to discuss their reactions to the day.
What were some of the highlights of the Junior Day visit for you?
"This junior day was a little different for me. We could not stay for the entire deal. So we arrived early mostly to talk to Coach Griz (head strength and conditioning coach Shawn Griswold) and visit with head coach Rhett Lashlee."
Which coaches did you connect with, and what was their overall message to you?
"My family and I had some questions for the strength coach about the strength and conditioning program in general. It was really good. We also met with Coach Lashlee and offensive line coach Garin Justice. He talked about what my future would look like if I decided to play ball at SMU. SMU made me feel wanted, and they feel confident they'll sign the best offensive line class in the country."
What are your thoughts on the SMU football program, and what is your interest level in playing at SMU?
"I'm very interested in playing ball there. My official visit is scheduled for June 6-8. The program is legit, and they are winning ball games and developing dudes."
Who are some of the schools that you are hearing from right now?
"I'm very fortunate to have quite a few offers and to talk to a lot of schools."
Do you have any other visits or camps coming up this off-season?
"I'll do some spring practices in March to Clemson, Michigan, Ohio State, Texas, LSU and SMU. I'm only going to the Under Armor and Rivals camps."
Which coaches did you connect with, and what was their overall message to you?
"I connected the most with running back coaches Kyle Cooper and Tyler Foster, and they really talked about the important role that the RBs have at SMU and that it takes a dog to be a versatile RB at SMU."
What are your thoughts on the SMU football program, and what is your interest level in playing at SMU?
"I feel like SMU is truly building something special down there. They have a great plan for the future. I am definitely interested in SMU, along with others."
Who are some of the schools that you are hearing from right now?
"I am hearing mostly from Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas A&M."
Do you have any other visits or camps coming up this off-season?
"I will be at Oklahoma on March 8 and will be attending spring practices for Kansas, A&M, Houston, etc."
What were some of the highlights of the Junior Day visit for you?
"One of the highlights of today's junior day was that it felt like home, which was the most important thing to me: the hospitality and the facilities."
Which coaches did you connect with, and what was their overall message to you?
"I connected with Coach Maurice Crum, Coach Hussam Ouri, and Coach Symons. Their overall message was good, and they explained to me a lot about how I would fit in their defensive scheme and how life on campus would be."
What are your thoughts on the SMU football program, and what is your interest level in playing at SMU?
"Some of my thoughts on the SMU football program is that they know how to win. And the momentum they have right now will carry on to the Class of 25 and 26 to be great. I am highly interested in playing SMU in the future."
Who are some of the schools that you are hearing from right now?
"Some of the schools I'm hearing from right now include SMU, TCU, UTEP, Tulsa, Rice, Houston, Baylor, Bowling Green, Missouri State, Colorado, and Ole Miss."
Do you have any other visits or camps coming up this off-season?
"Yes, I plan on going to some more visits. I haven't decided where yet, though, but I definitely plan on revisiting SMU."
What were some of the highlights of the Junior Day visit for you?
"The facility tour was the highlight of the tour for me."
Which coaches did you connect with, and what was their overall message to you?
"I connected with Coach Rickey Hunley, and he just told me to come be a part of something special and build something great."
What are your thoughts on the SMU football program, and what is your interest level in playing at SMU?
"I think SMU is building something special, and I have a high level of interest in playing there."
Who are some of the schools that you are hearing from right now?
"I am hearing from Oklahoma, Baylor, and SMU."
Do you have any other visits or camps coming up this off-season?
"I do not have any visits coming up yet."
What were some of the highlights of the Junior Day visit for you?
"Some of the highlights were the facilities and how things are run there."
Can you tell me about receiving your offer from SMU?
"Receiving it was cool because of how down-to-earth Coach Thibbs is, and they just sat down, stopped, and talked with me."
Which coaches did you connect with, and what was their overall message to you?
"I met with all the defensive coaches, and they basically said just to keep working and stay dedicated."
What are your thoughts on the SMU football program, and what is your interest level in playing at SMU?
"It is definitely a nice place, and who wouldn't want to be at a place like that?"
Who are some of the schools that you are hearing from right now?
I'm hearing from Baylor, California, Oklahoma State, and more.
Do you have any other visits or camps coming up this off-season?
"I don't have any at the moment, but I'm definitely gonna make a list."
What were some of the highlights of the Junior Day visit for you?
"The highlights of the junior day were the meeting with Coach Lashlee and the meeting we had where the coaches talked to everyone and brought players in to talk with us."
Which coaches did you connect with, and what was their overall message to you?
"I connected with all the coaches. They want me to be the one who starts their commitment for the offensive line 2026 class."
What are your thoughts on the SMU football program, and what is your interest level in playing at SMU?
"I think the program is great, and SMU is a school I'm heavily considering; they are among my top schools."
Who are some of the schools that you are hearing from right now?
"The schools I'm hearing from are SMU, Texas Tech, Houston, Ole Miss, Arizona State, and Arizona."
Do you have any other visits or camps coming up this off-season?
"I have a visit to Oklahoma on March 8, and I'm going to some camps like Rivals and All-22."
What were some of the highlights of the Junior Day visit for you?
"The highlights of my junior day were sitting down with Coach D'Eriq King and Coach Sam Hullender and having conversations about the program and their offensive scheme for quarterbacks. Along with getting a tour of the nice facilities."
Which coaches did you connect with, and what was their overall message to you?
"I connected with quarterback Coach King and Coach Hullender, and their message to me was about what it's like to be a family at SMU and how important family is."
What are your thoughts on the SMU football program, and what is your interest level in playing at SMU?
"My thoughts on the SMU football program are great! They are winning a lot of games and are going to the college playoff. Coach Lashlee knows how to build a national champion. Along with the Coaches showing love and treating everyone as family, I can definitely see myself playing at SMU!"
Who are some of the schools that you are hearing from right now?
"Arizona, Houston, Baylor, Texas Tech, and Texas State came up to see me at Weiss, and then I heard from Boston College, BYU, and TCU."
Do you have any other visits or camps coming up this off-season?
"Houston invited me to spring practice. Texas Tech and Boston College have asked me to come to camp. I also got invited to Elite 11 regionals."
What were some of the highlights of the Junior Day visit for you?
"The highlight of my junior visit was definitely the position meeting with Coach Dunnam."
Which coaches did you connect with, and what was their overall message to you?
"I connected with Coach Dunnam, and his overall message to me was just to continue to keep working. We just talked about different pass-rush moves."
What are your thoughts on the SMU football program, and what is your interest level in playing at SMU?
"I am very interested in playing at SMU. It's a very welcoming community, and it feels like family."
Who are some of the schools that you are hearing from right now?
"Some of the schools I am hearing from are SMU, Arizona State, and TCU. I have also talked to some coaches from Notre Dame, Rice, Yale, Illinois, and Stanford. But we also had 80 D1 colleges that came through Bastrop, and I had great conversations with all of them."
Do you have any other visits or camps coming up this off-season?
"I am going on a visit to TCU tomorrow (Sunday), and I am going on a visit to Arizona State in April."
What were some of the highlights of the Junior Day visit for you?
"Some highlights of the visit were the energy the coaching staff had and how they were very involved with everything. They also had a player panel where Coach Justice had stepped out of the room, and we got to hear from the offensive lineman and their point of view. That was a major highlight because you got to see how they think and what they do on a day-to-day basis. Another highlight was being around the coaching staff once again and continuing to establish our relationships with each other."
Which coaches did you connect with, and what was their overall message to you?
"I got to interact with a lot of coaches, from Coach Justice and the new offensive line graduate assistant, Coach Bain. I also met with most of the other coaches. They all come to talk to you no matter what position. They make you feel at home."
What are your thoughts on the SMU football program, and what is your interest level in playing at SMU?
"My thoughts on SMU are high, and every time I go back, they get higher as the tradition is great, the coaching staff is amazing, and I'm very interested in them. They are definitely doing something great at SMU."
Who are some of the schools that you are hearing from right now?
"I'm hearing from lots of schools right now, and it's going really well. The recruitment season is busy, and many programs are reaching out right now. I expect there will be more as my open contact starts this summer."
Do you have any other visits or camps coming up this off-season?
"I have some visits scheduled for TCU and Oklahoma soon. I also plan to make some spring visits to Texas A&M, Penn State, Nebraska, Florida State, Ole Miss, and Texas Tech. I would like to see as many campuses as I can this spring and summer as I am invited."
What were some of the highlights of the Junior Day visit for you?
"Some highlights were how big the campus is."
Can you tell me about receiving your offer from SMU?
"It felt good! I was excited and happy. It was truly a blessing."
Which coaches did you connect with, and what was their overall message to you?
"The coach I connected with was Coach Tibbs. Man, he is an amazing person, and the overall message was to keep grinding."
What are your thoughts on the SMU football program, and what is your interest level in playing at SMU?
"It's a fit for me, and I love SMU! After four years at SMU, there is a program called Life After Ball that helps students."
Who are some of the schools that you are hearing from right now?
"I'm hearing from UTEP, SMU, Texas State, New Mexico State, Baylor, and Houston."
Do you have any other visits or camps coming up this off-season?
"I don't have any visits planned right now, but they will be coming very soon."
What were some of the highlights of the Junior Day visit for you?
"The school itself is one of the best facilities I've stepped foot on. From the stadium to the locker room, everything just stood out."
What are your thoughts on the SMU football program, and what is your interest level in playing at SMU?
"I think highly of the SMU program, and they are one of the best of the best in the ACC."
Who are some of the schools that you are hearing from right now?
"Some schools I'm hearing from right now are Mississippi State, Liberty, Georgia Tech, California, Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Lafayette, and Old Dominion."
Do you have any other visits or camps coming up this off-season?
"I only have one official visit set up right now, which is to Tulane on June 21."
What were some of the highlights of the Junior Day visit for you?
"Some highlights were really connecting with Coach Lashlee and Coach Dunnam, and their overall message was to consider staying home."
What are your thoughts on the SMU football program, and what is your interest level in playing at SMU?
"I'd say I have a high interest in playing for their program."
Who are some of the schools that you are hearing from right now?
"Some schools I'm hearing from are Georgia and Oregon."
Do you have any other visits or camps coming up this off-season?
"I have a visit to Georgia on March 13."
What were some of the highlights of the Junior Day visit for you?
"One of the highlights was getting to look at all the new things they added to the facilities and hanging out with the coaches."
Which coaches did you connect with, and what was their overall message to you?
"I connected with Coach Symons and also Coach Bones (John Bonney). The message was their schemes and how they wanted to use me."
What are your thoughts on the SMU football program, and what is your interest level in playing at SMU?
"I think their program is amazing, and they really value family and high school kids and want to grow from within."
Who are some of the schools that you are hearing from right now?
"I am hearing from Arizona, Arizona State, TexasTech, California, TCU, Rice, and Boston College."
Do you have any other visits or camps coming up this off-season?
"As of right now, I have no other visits or camps I'm going to during this coming off-season. I will be going to some spring practices, but I haven't decided which ones yet."
What were some of the highlights of the Junior Day visit for you?
"It was my first time actually seeing the new facility, and I enjoyed getting an inside scoop on everything."
Which coaches did you connect with, and what was their overall message to you?
"I connected with Coach Bones. I was the only 2026 safety there, so he was with me the whole time. He explained everything I needed to know and told me not to rush the process."
What are your thoughts on the SMU football program, and what is your interest level in playing at SMU?
"SMU is definitely a top school for me. They have a lot of things going on I like. I can see myself in the defense they run and on campus."
Do you have any other visits or camps coming up this off-season?
"As of right now, I don't."
What were some of the highlights of the Junior Day visit for you?
"Junior Day was great. I liked the energy, the new football facility upgrades, how the coaches treated me, and the fact that I attended the SMU basketball game."
Which coaches did you connect with, and what was their overall message to you?
"I talked with a few coaches, and they were all about development and opportunity. Coach Hunley and Coach Symons. They all made it clear they see potential and want to see me grow."
What are your thoughts on the SMU football program, and what is your interest level in playing at SMU?
"SMU has a solid football program. They play fast and physical, and the coaching staff is locked in. I'm interested in playing at the next level with a rising football program."
Who are some of the schools that you are hearing from right now?
"I'm hearing from several schools that have been on our campus."
Do you have any other visits or camps coming up this off-season?
"Yeah, I have some camps planned. I'm just working on my schedule. I am excited about what the future holds for me!"
What were some of the highlights of the Junior Day visit for you?
"The SMU campus, in general, was amazing, and the coaches made me feel like I was at home."
Which coaches did you connect with, and what was their overall message to you?
"I connected with Coach Dunnam, who invited me. He did a great job breaking down pass-rush techniques for us. He has a lot of energy and is very positive. He's the kind of coach I enjoy playing for."
What are your thoughts on the SMU football program, and what is your interest level in playing at SMU?
"I am very interested in SMU. They are a great program with a lot of momentum. I was really impressed with them, and they checked a lot of boxes for me."
Who are some of the schools that you are hearing from right now?
"I'm staying in touch with the schools that have offered me so far. Pittsburgh, Arkansas State, Tennessee State, UTEP, and UTSA. I'm taking every one of them seriously, and I'm planning to visit them all. I'm talking to more than 20 other programs, some big and some smaller ones too. They're learning about me, and I'm doing the same. I want to end up somewhere where I am valued, where they believe in me, and where I can make a difference and become the best player I can be."
Do you have any other visits or camps coming up this off-season?
"I'm lining up visits to all the schools that have offered, and I'm planning to be at The All22 Showcase in Austin in March and the UA Next in April. I will make decisions on camps as they come up. I'm also going to be running track, working with my trainers, and staying on top of my grades to prepare for spring football at Grand Oaks."
What were some of the highlights of the Junior Day visit for you?
"Some highlights of Junior Day were definitely talking to Coach Lashlee and him showing me that I'm a priority for him and his program."
Which coaches did you connect with, and what was their overall message to you?
"I got connected with Coach Thibbdeuax, Coach Ray, Coach Symons, and, of course, Coach Lashlee. They showed me what it was like to be a Mustang, how much they wanted me, and how they could really develop me."
Who are some of the schools that you are hearing from right now?
"I'm really hearing from most of the P4 schools who have offered me. Houston, SMU, Texas Tech, North Carolina, California, and Kansas."
What were some of the highlights of the Junior Day visit for you?
"It was good being back at SMU since the last time I was there was when they were under construction, and now I have seen what they added to their stadium."
Which coaches did you connect with, and what was their overall message to you?
"I connected with Coach Cooper and Coach Lashlee."
What are your thoughts on the SMU football program, and what is your interest level in playing at SMU?
"They just told me that they hope I see the direction and path SMU is headed, and it takes guys like me to see a different vision of where the Mustangs are headed and see how they are becoming somewhat of a powerhouse in today's era. It was a good time with great vibes!"
Who are some of the schools that you are hearing from right now?
"Texas, Texas A&M, Michigan, Georgia, Tennessee, and Stanford are the ones that are in touch the most."
Do you have any other visits or camps coming up this off-season?
"I don't have any visits planned as of right now."
