Tyquez Hampton commits to SMU, becomes second member of StangGang17

SMU picked up the commitment of three-star El Dorado wide receiver Tyquez Hampton on Tuesday, the second member of the Mustangs' 2017 class.

"You know, talking to coach (Chad) Morris and them every day, something about those coaches, it just felt right," Hampton told the HillTopics. "I talk to them on a daily basis and they've got great academics so it just felt like the best move I could do."

With a year until his class's Signing Day, Hampton could have waited for his offer list of SMU and UTEP to grow. Texas Tech actually came to visit him on Tuesday the same day he committed.

But he knew SMU was the place for him.

"Honestly it just felt like it should have been done now before it was too late," Hampton said.

Tech was not the only staff that came to visit as SMU receivers coach Justin Stepp flew to El Paso to visit Hampton and got to receive his commitment in person.

"He couldn’t talk to me really but he told my coach he was interested in me. I decided 'You know what, I want to be a part of this program and be a part of the future and I want to commit,'" Hampton recalled. "(My coach told me) he got real fired up and excited when I did that.

"I wanted to be part of the program more after that."

Stepp, Morris, offensive coordinator Joe Craddock and many other SMU coaches contacted Hampton frequently and spoke with him about the program. The relationship he built with the full staff was a big part of his commitment to the school.

"I talk to all of them like they’re my coaches now and now they're going to be my coaches in the future," Hampton said.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound receiver made sure his future head coach knew his good news.

"He was happy. I made sure he knew I wasn’t gonna go visit any other schools because I'm done now," Hampton reported.

Hampton, who wants to study health and society in hopes of being a health care administrator, will be in the Dallas area in March for the Nike Opening and expects to take a visit to SMU then.

It won't be his first visit to the Hilltop as he took a tour when he was a freshman, though he admits at that age he did not pay much attention to his surroundings.

"I'll be paying attention this time," Hampton joked.

The junior is unsure exactly what his role will be in the SMU offense but Stepp sees big things for him.

"He was talking about me being a big factor for the offense. I'm just waiting to see what happens."