The Pony Express: National Signing Day 2015 Edition

James Proche has been with SMU for the long haul

by Nikki Chavanelle

DeSoto High School 2015 wide receiver James Proche is no stranger to SMU after a long journey on the pony express. The three-star athlete's signing day has finally arrived and he could not be more excited.

"I'm very excited; I'm actually trying on my outfit right now. I'm so blessed and I've accomplished a huge goal. You know like when a fat woman loses fifty pounds, it's a big deal," Proche joked.

Since Proche's official visit with his future teammates, he has kept in close contact with the coaching staff.

"I talked to coach (Chad) Morris, coach (Joe) Craddock, and coach (Justin) Stepp on Monday and they were just checking up on me, seeing how I was feeling," Proche said. "My high school coaches are very proud of me and my accomplishments."

While some of his future teammates like Austin Corbett or Xavier Castille had only weeks between their commitment and sigining day, Proche has had years.

"Back in sophomore year, SMU was my first offer. I knew about their business program. But I can't lie, even though they were my first offer, they were at the bottom of my list. My top four were Houston, TCU, Baylor, and Louisville," Proche said. "From then to now, I grew up. I knew that football wasn't forever and that I needed an education. That's the only reason I stayed commited when coach (June) Jones left and all that commotion happened because I knew I wanted to get a great finance degree."

Even through SMU's 1-11 2014 season, Proche knew he still wanted to come to SMU and make great things happen.

"This year watching the team, I never really waivered in my commitment. I'm big on faith so I knew it was the place for me to be. When I was at the TCU game I kept seeing plays that I thought, 'Oh I could've made that," and it just made me want to get there more," Proche said.

Having been one of the first commits to SMU, Proche has had a little more time to get settle and get comfortable with the campus so he can get to know his future coaches and teammates.

"Of all the coaches, coach Stepp is definitely my favorite. We are so much alike. It's like I found my best friend," Proche said. "Of all the players I've met, I can see myself being friends with all of them but so far I can see Ben Hicks, Kevin Thomas, and Xavier Castille being my best friends. We actually worked out together last Thursday."

Both graduating from DeSoto, Proche and Thomas are doing their signing day ceremonies together with all of their friends and family.

"For signing, I'm the more serious adult one and Kevin Thomas is the more fun one so, I'm going to let him do what he wants to do," Proche said.

Being offered and committing to a Division I football program is something only a select group of talented kids can say they did and Proche knows it's the first step to something bigger.

"My parents are very proud of me and we just know that this is just a step to accomplishing the rest of my goals. My goals would be… win more than one game. Just kidding," Proche said with a laugh. "I want to win a bowl game and be first team All-Conference. I want to break every freshman record, I have very high standards for myself."

The face of the SMU 2015 signing class is more than ready to be on the Hilltop and be with his new teammates.

"I'm ready to be a leader and be the 'rah rah' hype everybody up type," Proche said. "Besides football, I'm most excited for dorm life and being independent. I already know I'm going to room with either K.T., Xavier, or Ben so it should be fun."

Kevin Thomas needed to be sold on SMU

by Nathan Baldwin

One of Chad Morris' first recruiting goals at SMU was to establish a relationship with players at DeSoto High School. He visited the school and even hired their head coach Claude Mathis as the running backs coach at SMU. Morris reached out to DeSoto wide receiver Kevin Thomas, who at the time was committed to the Kansas Jayhawks.

But Morris' interest in the three-star receiver was not reciprocated. "I wasn't really considering SMU then," Thomas said about when Morris first contacted him after taking the job at SMU.

Quickly though, Thomas learned more about Morris and his coaching history.

"I knew coach Morris before, because he recruited me at Clemson, but just really hearing [his background] opened my mind up."

Thomas, who plans on studying communications, decided to take an official visit on Jan. 23, which would lead him to flip his commitment to the Mustangs just days later.

He said, "It's just a really family-oriented place. They just really made you feel like it's a family-oriented program." He joins his fellow DeSoto receiver James Proche, who committed to SMU before Morris was even hired.

Thomas is excited for the offseason at SMU. He wants to "put on a couple pounds and get prepared for the season."

He acknowledged that the season would not come without challenge. "We're coming in as underdogs, but I think we'll open a lot of eyes early, "Thomas said.

The receiver stands at six feet, two inches and weighs 180 pounds. Thomas uses his tall frame to overpower defensive backs when working to get open in the passing game and when blocking in the running game. With his combination of physical attributes and skill, Thomas is not lacking confidence in his play.

"I plan to be an all-conference receiver next year," he said.

While his goal is bold, it is not impossible. SMU is bringing in a wealth of talented receivers in 2015, but Thomas could make an impact right away in Morris' explosive offense.

Hopefully for SMU, that goal sticks on Thomas' mind and motivates him throughout his preparation for next season. However, his "number one goal" is to graduate, since "an SMU degree will take you a long way."

Jordon Williams knew nothing about SMU before Chad Morris

by Nikki Chavanelle

Jordon Williams is one of many linebacker commits in the 2015 signing class. Williams played his high school football at Jersey Village High School in Houston. He is six feet, one inch tall and 194 pounds.

"I met with coach (Van) Malone and coach (Archie) McDaniel when they came to my school. It was the Friday before dead period started and I didn't know they were coming, it was unexpected," Williams said. "I was excited to see what they had to offer and I hadn't talked to them at all before then but after I met with them I was ready to get to know more about SMU."

Unlike several SMU commits, Williams really knew nothing about SMU and had no preconceived notions about the football program.

"The coaches and I talked for over an hour and not one second was about football. Both coaches were down to earth guys who really care about each individual recruit," Williams said. "After speaking with them I was really excited to visit SMU and get a general feel for the atmosphere."

During the dead period, Williams could only keep up with the coaches and their activity through Twitter but that's how he got his first opportunity to talk to Chad Morris.

"He briefed me more about the university, he got to know me and I got to know him, and we planned for my visit," Williams said. "At the time, I was really only talking to Memphis and Northwestern closely and all the coaches treated me very well."

Despite Williams' good experience with recruiting at other schools, his official visit to SMU put him over the edge.

"After I visited the campus and heard the coaches out, I felt like it was a better fit. The coaches really provide a close knit family and that is what I was looking for," Williams said.

Williams' host at SMU was redshirted freshman and defensive back Jordan Wyatt. Like other recruits, Williams got the full-SMU experience.

"The SMU basketball game was one of the best I've ever been to and the campus is beautiful. I had never seen so many BMWs, Mercedes, etc, in one spot in my life," Williams said. "As for what I want to study, I'm undecided. I kind of want it to find me, not the other way around."

Williams has some goals in mind for the time that he will spend at SMU and specific ones for his first season.

"For the season I want to make first team all-conference and at least get a 3.8 GPA. Over my time, I was to graduate with a degree, win a conference championship, and make a lot of long lasting friendships," Williams said. "I'm really looking forward to it."

Austin Corbett a big part of SMU's linebacker haul

by Tyler Sweet

SMU commit Austin Corbett took some time aside during Team USA's practice last night to reflect a little bit on his commitment to SMU.

Corbett, a versatile linebacker who can play both inside and out, joins a solid class of linebackers in Chad Morris' first recruiting class with the Mustangs. Corbett, at six feet, four inches and 200 pounds, provides a rare height-advantage to go along with speed at the linebacker position.

Corbett was originally offered a scholarship by former interim coach Tom Mason in December of 2013 and new linebackers coach Archie McDaniel approached him not too long after the new staff was hired to honor that scholarship. McDaniel and Corbett established a relationship and quickly moved past the retained scholarship to talk specifics about the position itself.

"We discussed playing inside or outside linebacker and the expectations of the position," Corbett said. "We also discussed the potential of being an impact player for the team very soon."

Corbett is excited about Morris and the new staff and the respect seems to be mutual.

"Coach Morris and I talked about his vision for the program and how it is going to take great players to change this program around," Corbett said. "He believes that I am one of those great players that has that ability."

Corbett totaled six sacks throughout his senior season at Plano East High School and averaged nearly seven tackles per game. Corbett was a nuisance to opposing quarterbacks and looks to maintain that success as he begins a new era at SMU.

The potential to play early in his freshman year at SMU exists, but Corbett will have to battle other highly-touted incoming linebackers such as Mitchell Kaufman, Matt McNew, and the Irving-Nimitz twins, Michael and Delontae Scott, for a spot to do so.

Corbett can be seen playing for Team USA in the International Bowl Game (U19) on Saturday, February 7th at Maverick Stadium at UT-Arlington at 1 P.M. CT.

Wilds excited to be a Mustang

by Dacota Taylor

Bryce Wilds is excited to be a part of head coach Chad Morris' inaugural class of players at Southern Methodist University. At six feet, six inches tall, and weighing in at more than 300 pounds, Wilds is the biggest part of SMU's 2015 recruitment class.

And it is all thanks to Morris' and Archie McDaniel's arriving at SMU.

"Archie McDaniel was the main guy recruiting me to SMU, and he was also recruiting me to New Mexico when he was there. And in high school he actually played in like the town over, and so my head coach, basically all of our coaches know him and Chad Morris from back in the day. That's really how it all came together."

Wilds explained that had the leadership changed at SMU, he'd have never even put SMU on his sights.

"If coach McDaniel hadn't gone to SMU, none of this would have never fell into place. It wouldn't have been the same option."

Morris coming to SMU was a game changer not just for the program, but for Wilds, who at the time was looking at other schools' offers with strong considerations.

"If SMU hadn't come up I'd have considered Tech a little more, but most likely Tulsa or I could have stuck with Houston."

His thoughts on the SMU program under Morris echoed those of other incoming players, but were summed up in two sentences.

"It's going to be phenomenal. We're going to win a lot of games."

Wilds hopes to start early and help the Mustangs win those games he's predicting they will win.

"I have a good chance to start early. I have some training to do, but there's a good chance I'll be in early."

As for life at SMU, Wilds is eager to move to Dallas and start his life with the Mustangs. He already plans on pursuing a degree in business.

"SMU is great. I love it. There's not so many people but you've still got a pretty good fan base for the football program. From what I understand it has dipped in the last couple of years. People aren't, I guess, proud of it. It's hard to be proud of one and eleven. But all the students there seem to love coach Morris and seem ready to help turn the program around."

When Wilds finally moves to Dallas to join SMU, he will not be leaving behind just his football team. Wilds plays for the Brazosport basketball team in his off season, and while he admits he is not the best on the team, he claims to be a pretty good three point shooter. When asked why he never pursued a basketball scholarship, he could not help but laugh.

"You've obviously never seen me play basketball," Wilds joked, "I can play really good defense, and if I get the ball in the right spot I can shoot threes, I can shoot free throws. I'm an okay basketball player, but I just have bad timing. I'm really good at fouling people, and I actually got ejected. It was good."

Luckily SMU is recruiting him for football, and that's a game he's ready to change with his new SMU teammates.

"We've got a really great coaching staff and I can't wait to bring some wins back to SMU."

Michael Scott looked at TCU before recommitting to SMU

by Nikki Chavanelle

Michael Scott is one of a few linebackers signing his National Letter of Intent to attend SMU next fall. Scott played linebacker for Nimitz High School and he was recruited under June Jones' coaching staff. With the new coaching staff now fully in command of recruitment, both Michael and his brother Delontae are set to officially become mustangs.

"I'm feeling good. I can't even relate this. I'm so excited. I can't wait to finally just signing and focusing on finishing high school and heading to SMU," Scott said.

Michael Scott never knew he'd play football for SMU but when the opportunity arose, he immediately considered it.

'The first time I was in contact with SMU was last year when my basketball team went to watch SMU basketball's team's practice. We got to meet the team and the coaches. After that, SMU started sending out scholarships and one day after school ended for the summer they called and offered me so I committed," Scott said.

Though Scott is a Dallas area native, SMU was never really on his radar, nor did he know much about the school.

"All I really knew about SMU was that it was a private school. I knew the football team had had the death penalty and that they were trying to get back on track," Scott said.

Unlike his brother Delontae, Michael Scott wasn't totally sure SMU would be the school for him after the change in coaching staff.

"When Coach Jones resigned, I decommitted and starting looking at TCU because I wasn't sure about my scholarship under a new coaching staff. But coach Chad Morris offered me again when he came and he said he wanted me and my brother to come," Scott said. "He knew that we had bigger schools that we could go to but I love my city, I love Dallas and I want everybody in America to know that SMU is about to become the best football team in Texas. I love the campus and I told everyone when I committed that I committed because I like the colors."

Michael believes SMU is an all-around great fit for him and his brother.

"My family loves it because I'm not going off to California or far away. They'll definitely come see me play," Scott said. "I know the coaches used to be high school coaches and they know how to talk to recruits and they are family oriented so I like it."

Scott is excited to begin his journey on the Hilltop and is already anticipating what he will do when he arrives.

"I'm not sure if I want to redshirt my first year and get bigger and stronger but if I don't redshirt then I'm definitely going to try to start," Scott said.

Archie McDaniels key to bringing in Matt McNew

by Tyler Sweet

Outside linebacker, Matt McNew reflects back to 'what could have been' had head coach Chad Morris not added linebackers coach, Archie McDaniel to the new staff for SMU.

"I was actually first in contact with Coach McDaniel, who was at New Mexico before joining SMU," McNew said. "It was coach's second day at SMU when he had offered me a scholarship."

McNew, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound linebacker from Robinson, Texas, thought he was going to be playing for Coach Archie McDaniel at New Mexico for a while. McNew established a good relationship with McDaniel, and McDaniel made it clear that he wanted McNew to follow him at SMU once he was hired as part of the new staff.

"He (McDaniel) recruited me at New Mexico and once he got the job at SMU he had me follow him there," McNew explained. "Coach McDaniel asked if I would be interested in playing for him and I told him 'of course'. I had been planning on going to New Mexico all along before that."

McDaniel's persistence in holding that scholarship and pursuit for McNew obviously paid off in a big way and McNew is happy the way that it turned out.

"The offer from SMU kind of changed everything," said McNew. "It was closer to home and that is more what I was looking for."

McNew has always admired SMU and had quite a bit to say about the setting.

"It's a beautiful campus. It's all top-notch as far as facilities go and the buildings all around are very clean, modern, and nice," saod MicNew describing SMU after visiting the campus for the first time a couple of weeks ago on his official visit.

McNew would also have his first contact with Coach Morris on his official visit.

"He (Morris) told me his story of coaching and the path he took to get to SMU. He told me the things he's been through and what he believes," said McNew. "The entire coaching staff was all a class act. They are good guys and good people. They are the type of guys that you want to be coached by and you want to play for."

The linebacker looks forward to see what the coaches will do with him in his first year at SMU. He looks to pursue a field in sports medicine or athletic training. McNew's goals on the field are to be a big contributer to a successful football team and off the field looks to obtain a degree that will be a foundation for the rest of his life.

Official visit sold Keaton Bates on SMU

by Nathan Baldwin

The new coaching staff at SMU first reached out to Arlington Lamar offensive lineman Keaton Bates through Twitter in late December of 2014, and Bates didn't know much about them. But once he talked to them on his official visit, the table was set for him to commit to SMU.

"I just got a really good vibe from them," Bates said about meeting with the coaches during his visit.

Bates said the official visit was when he knew SMU was his college choice. He loved the campus, saying, "It was really, really beautiful. It's a really good place to study." He plans on majoring in business and minoring in kinesiology.

But another major factor of the visit for Bates was interacting with the other commits of the class that were there. He said they all "felt like brothers from day one."

The coaching staff also reflected that family aspect. "It's so good to be a part of an upcoming something rather than just go to another football factory. I felt like everybody there was a big family rather than just trying to win football games," Bates said.

Bates believes that sentiment around the team will help the program overcome the challenge of "not giving into what people say, despite what the last season was like."

As to what excites him the most about getting on campus, Bates is thrilled to work with head coach Chad Morris and new offensive line coach Dustin Fry.

"I know there's a lot that [Morris and Fry] can teach me and better me as a player, and I'm just eager to be the best player that I can," Bates said.

The 6-foot-4, 265-pound tackle wants to be the first of his family to get a college degree, but he wouldn't mind beginning his career blocking for NFL quarterbacks. "I do also have NFL aspirations," Bates said.

The two-star prospect will look to work hard and constantly improve at SMU in order to reach those high goals.

Alex Honey wanted to play for Chad Morris

by Dacota Taylor

SMU may have been last in the NCAA rankings, but for Guyer High's wide receiver Alex Honey, it was at the top of his list. After the Mustangs' catastrophic, near-winless season, no one would have expected the Mustangs to be able to recruit players like Honey.

But SMU hiring Clemson's offensive coordinator changed everything.

"I was contacted in the beginning of December by coach (Dustin) Fry, who came up to my school. He and my high school coach watched my highlights in the office and then I talked to them for a bit then I went home. About thirty minutes later he called me and said there was an offer."

As far as Morris goes, he had not spoken to SMU's new coach until after the recruitment process began. But he knew enough about him to know he was interested.

"I like him. He's going to turn the program around, I like what he's doing. And I believe in everything he's telling us."

Recruiting Honey may have been made easier with Morris' Texas connections. Honey's high school coach John Walsh has history with SMU's new head coach from Morris' high school coaching days.

"Coach Walsh said he knew him some. When coach Morris was a high school coach, they played my coaches old team where he coached at a lot. So they were kind of rivals."

SMU made a wave when they picked up Honey. Before his commitment to the Mustangs he was being courted by schools along the lines of Air Force, UNT, Northwestern State, and more. Honey picked the Mustangs for the chance to help turn the program around and for SMU's academic background.

"It's the perfect fit. Academically it's really good, the football program is about to turn around, it's not too far from home. It has a really nice campus and I like it a lot."

Hunter Thedford a natural fit for new era at SMU

by Nathan Baldwin

Defensive end Hunter Thedford from Comanche, Texas developed a relationship with SMU head coach Chad Morris while Morris was still the offensive coordinator at Clemson. That relationship made Thedford's commitment to SMU an easy decision.

"It says a lot when you first meet a guy and he says, 'I don't want you to become a better football player here. I want you to develop as a better man.' That's whenever you know that you've got to see this program," Thedford said.

The two-star recruit loves that Morris creates a family atmosphere that goes beyond football.

"As soon as I knew it was coach Morris, that's the time that I knew SMU was for me," Thedford said about the SMU head coaching position.

Morris coached at Stephenville High School, which is about 30 minutes from Comanche, from 2003 to 2007, so Thedford knows all about Morris' history in Texas high school football. "It's always a challenge to buy into a new coach, but you can't lie with the history that he has right now. He's won everywhere he's been," he said.

Thedford knows next year will be a challenge for him. He recalled when he was a freshman in high school and "everyone was better" than him, so he challenged himself to improve.

He plans to do the same in his freshman year of college. Thedford already has a handwritten list of goals for his SMU career, of which he could not even remember all of them.

He strives to record double-digit sacks and 60 tackles in each year that he starts. He also wants to weigh 275 pounds (he currently weighs 225 pounds) by the time he graduates. And off the field, he wants to graduate with a degree in business management.

"I just want to be a part of a family and challenge myself," Thedford said.

While his goals lean towards his personal statistics, Thedford is focused on making a personal impact for the team as a whole. At six feet, seven inches, the defensive end could become an absolute physical mismatch that is a highlight of opposing teams' scouting reports.

Delontae Scott did his research on Chad Morris

by Nikki Chavanelle

Delontae Scott is one of two Scott twins on SMU's 2015 commit list. Scott is a 6-foot-5, 200-pound linebacker and is a two-star prospect just like his brother Michael. Scott played his senior season at Nimitz High School in Irving, Texas.

"I can't wait to get signing day out of the way, I'm feeling good," Scott said.

It's unclear whether the old SMU coaching staff originally set out to recruit both Scott brothers but their recruitment was intertwined.

"The recruiting process with SMU went well. The old staff invited my brother to come visit unofficially and it was the summer after my junior year. When we went on the visit they ended up offering me to come play too. They wanted both of us not just one. It was actually my idea to commit. The coaching staff was really excited like, 'Oh we got the twins,' and the new staff is excited too," Scott said.

Unlike his brother Michael, Delontae remained committed to SMU after June Jones' resignation as head coach.

"I stayed committed to SMU even after coach Jones left because I wasn't really worried about my scholarship being pulled or anything. And I also knew SMU was a good school. Like even without football, I knew I wanted to go to SMU, get my degree from there, and be set for life," Scott said. "I knew they were going to end up getting a new head coach and a new staff but I was prepared for that. I looked coach (Chad) Morris up and his resume looked nice. I think I talked to coach (Archie) McDaniels first and he told me that he felt like me and my brother still fit what they were trying to do at SMU."

The Scott brothers visited SMU again in late January along with several other SMU commits and they got a chance to get reacquainted with Mustang football.

"I like the new coaches. When I first met them I thought they were respectful and cool. On our visit, I was just surprised how easy it was to hang out with all the guys. It was so easy. We just came in and we talked and hung out and we were comfortable," Scott said.

Scott hopes to get into the Cox School of Business at SMU and manage his life efficiently as a student-athlete.

"My goals for my first year are to understand the college game more, get bigger, and focus on my classes as much as possible," Scott said.

Mitchell Kaufman excited for future at SMU

by Dacota Taylor

Mitchell Kaufman has seen a lot of changes happen to SMU since he was first contacted as a recruit. The Highland Park Linebacker was originally contacted by June Jones' staff and was recruited by the former interim head coach Tom Mason.

"I contacted a long time ago, and I went to junior day a long time ago with the old staff and now I've continued with the new staff. It's been great," Kaufman said.

Kaufman has a unique perspective going into the new SMU program having been recruited by the old one.

"I was never really up close and personal with June Jones because it wasn't that time of year, but I did get a practice in and I was involved, but let's just say I get a lot of contact with coach (Archie) McDaniel now. He's been over a few times and we talk a lot. He's a really good guy."

As for starting in his opening season, it's a wait and see for Kaufman.

"It's not my decision, but we can see how it goes. I can just work hard and do the best I can, and it'll take care of itself. They said if I do the work then I'll be showing up."

Kaufman had nothing but good things to say about the Mustangs new coach.

"He came to my visit and I talked to him a little bit. He's great and he's got a great attitude. He's really positive and he's a young guy, so he's really upbeat and ready to go. He's fun and I'm excited about that."

Kaufman only lives a few blocks from campus already, but he had never really seen the sights until his official visits.

"I can't say I've ever been in Dallas Hall, but it was really cool. And the new dorms were really nice. It really felt like I was at home and that was awesome."

As far as big goals at SMU, Kaufman is taking his time. He hasn't started looking at a major and isn't in a big rush with high school still be wrapped up.

In closing, Kaufman was very positive, with one final statement to make about this new generation of SMU Mustangs.

"We're going to be good."

SMU worth the wait for Myron Gailliard

by Adam Grosbard

Mansfield Timberview wide receiver Myron Gailliard is one of the last recruiting holdovers from the June Jones era and went through a lot with SMU but can still remember when it all began with the Mustangs.

"That was way back in spring ball, coach (Jason) Phillips came by the school and offered," Gailliard told the HillTopics. "I committed later because I was waiting to see if I could get any new offers and while I was doing that SMU pulled the offer. Duke came really hard but they didn't offer. When I finally found out Duke wasn't going to be it, SMU re-offered and I committed right there on the spot."

When Jones resigned, Gailliard never thought about reopening his recruitment.

"Regardless of the outcome I was going to stick with it unless the new coach didn't honor my offer. That was the commitment I had made," Gailliard said.

When SMU finalized the deal to make Chad Morris the new head coach, Gailliard was thrilled with the news.

"It was amazing because I didn't…" Gailliard said before gathering his thoughts. "It was crazy it all worked out that way. I thought that's great, when I watched the defense wasn't too bad but the offense wasn't helping them so I thought (the Morris signing) was a great pickup."

Gailliard finally got a chance to see SMU up close he was impressed with the campus but was more excited about his new team,

"SMU is the greatest family feel. I never felt closer to a staff than this other than my high school coaches," Gailliard said. "Everyone gets along with each other, I feel like I was a part of the family. It was just the whole trip from day I walked in to the day I left. I never felt that way except for with my high school coaches. I felt like I'd been there a long time, not just a weekend."

That might be because of everything that got packed into the weekend.

"The food was great and the other great part of the trip was meeting the other players on the visit," Gaillaird said. "We molded together really great. I mean, pretty much everyone committed on the visit committed. Everyone just molded together. I really got along with (Michael Scott). I've been keeping in contact with him. And then Daniel Gresham, I got cool with him I got closer to him and James Proche."

As for his parents, they both enjoyed the presentation from SMU president R. Gerald Turner.

The 5-foot-9 Gailliard figures to fit into the slot at SMU.

"Coach (Justin) Stepp told me that when we have meetings just learn the plays because he's not afraid to play freshmen."

While on the visit Gailliard met strength and conditioning coach Trumain Carroll, who he described as a "pretty serious man."

"It's not what I'm looking forward to. They told us there will be a lot of running. They also told us about this thing that'll be in our shoulder pads to tell them who's been running and how far we've been running at practice."

Gailliard will enroll in the summer and wants to study environmental science.

Marcus McNeil eager to be on the Hilltop

by Tyler Sweet

The HillTopics caught up with Marcus McNeil, who has been committed to SMU for almost an entire year now. McNeil says he has been long anticipating his career at SMU, and that it has been a dream even before he was offered to play for the Mustangs.

"I've always wanted to go to SMU since I was in the eighth grade," said McNeil, "and it was a blessing that I was pointed in this direction to SMU."

McNeil, a 6-foot, 300-pound offensive lineman, from Midway High School in San Antonio, was originally offered a scholarship from the previous coaching staff before Chad Morris.

"The first time I was contacted by SMU was my junior year and coach (Wes) Swann from the old coaching staff reached out to me," McNeil reflected, "About two weeks later he came back and offered me. Sometime in May of last year."

McNeil was pleased and relieved to hear that the new coaching staff would continue to honor his scholarship and he could not be more excited to play for head coach Chad Morris, his offensive line coach Dustin Fry, and the new coaching staff.

"Coach Fry, the offensive line coach, came to my school in San Antonio and confirmed that they were honoring everyone's commitments," McNeil said, "We discussed how the scheme would change from the previous coaching staff, and he just went over what I would have to do to better prepare myself for the new offensive look."

The offensive lineman also mentioned that the new coaching staff emphasized how family-oriented they hope the football team to be, the fan base to be, and everyone else involved with SMU football.

"Coach Morris has talked a lot about the positive attitude that surrounds the school and he mentioned the word 'family' a lot which is great," McNeil said.

McNeil loves more than just the football aspect and the setting of the campus of SMU.

"I know that football isn't going to last forever and you need something to fall back on," McNeil explained, "and it was the perfect combination of football and education. I have those family and religious values that the school bases itself around. It's perfect for me."

McNeil plans to study political science when he enrolls in SMU and his goals are to be a key asset both on and off the field and represent the school the way it is expected of him.

Josh Williams excited to be at college already

by Dacota Taylor

High school can be a struggle, but for SMU commit Josh Williams, knowing he will be playing football in college makes it a little easier. The kicker from Rowlett, Texas is extremely outspoken as an ambassador to encourage others to give the Mustangs a shot.

"Coach (Chad) Morris had called me on the phone a little after he got into office and said they were really interested in a kicker, and said he'd love to have me come down for an official. I went on the official and it was a blast."

Williams was blown away not only by Morris and his new staff, but also by the campus as well. The feel of the campus, as well as the quality of his academics, are important factors in his decision to join the Mustangs.

"It's amazing how the campus can be so close to downtown, and when you're on it you don't even feel like you're in the middle of such a big city. It's pretty cool how that is and SMU is just the perfect blend of great football and great academics, and going into my recruiting I knew that would be a big part of my decision. The academic aspect of the school is something that's very important to me."

As far as his recruitment goes and when he can start, Williams isn't certain, but he's positive it won't be long before he starts.

"Coach Morris and coach (Keith) Gunn were the ones that called me the most," Williams explained, "but we never talked about when I would start. It could be a kind of 'compete for the job' kind of thing, obviously nothing is set in stone and whoever is the best will get the spot. I'm looking forward to coming in and competing and contributing to the success of the program."

Before visiting with Morris and checking out the campus, Williams only knew a bit about the new head coach's background. Now he could not speak highly enough about the Mustangs football leader.

"I learned a lot about him on my visit. Coach Morris is a very family-oriented person and he's got a real vision for SMU. He's a great man and a great man to be behind."

The only player Williams really knows going into this new football team is Xavier Castille, a former competitor from another team.

"I spoke with Xavier Castille a little bit on the official, and he went to Rockwall High which is a team that my team played this year. He's a very awesome kid and very smart kid, and I look forward to playing with him."

As far as Williams academics, he is already looking at options, some more unique than others.

"I haven't fully decided my major but I'm very interested in possibly doing a computer science program with a specialization in cyber security. I think that's a real hot field to get into and I've done a bunch of computer science classes in high school. I actually recently joined the cyber security team we have at our school, so that's something I'm very interested in."

With cyber security not being the most common major run for a football player, he elaborated on his interests involving computers and digital fields.

"My sophomore year in high school I was told that computer science would be a fun class to take so I took Computer Science I, which was like an introduction course. I really enjoyed the problem solving aspect and so I went on and took Computer Science II. Now I'm taking Computer Science III this year and it's just something that's a good combination of math and problem solving and that's something I'm very big into. And then cyber security is just a big piece of that and it's a really good job market to get into with how technology is advancing. I think it'll lead to some great career paths.

Alongside those interests, he has thoughts on SMU's finance program and pursuing a career in that industry. He plans to discuss his best options with his future academic advisors.

As for ending thoughts on the program and the school, SMU's newest kicker could not be more excited.

"I'm definitely looking forward to being a part of the success that SMU is bound to have under coach Morris, and I think he's going to turn this thing around pretty quickly. It's going to be pretty cool to be a part of that, and it'll be memorable."