Editor’s note: this story was updated at 11:30 a.m. Feb. 3.
SMU has received national letters of intent from all 25 members of its 2016 recruiting class. The class ranks 70th in the 247Sports.com composite rankings, the eighth-highest Group of Five class and above Power Five teams Kansas State, Rutgers, Boston College, Purdue and Kansas. The class is the fifth highest-rated in the American Athletic Conference, behind Houston, South Florida, Central Florida and Memphis. It’s SMU’s third highest-rated class in the history of the 247Sports composite rankings, which date back to 2002. Here is a look at five members of #StangGang16 every SMU fan should know. (A complete signee list can be found here.)
Defensive tackle Ken McLaurin: A three-star prospect from Denton (Texas) Ryan, McLaurin is a beefy 6-foot-3 and 285 pounds. SMU secured his commitment in October, but he spurned late offers from Missouri and Indiana. He is consistently disruptive because of his strength and good hand usage. He stands a good chance of playing right away, at least on running downs.
Wide receiver Brandon Benson: A coaching staff favorite, the Waco (Texas) La Vega product picked SMU over a handful of Big Ten offers, including Wisconsin, Illinois and Northwestern. The three-star prospect is a speedy downfield threat and attacks his breaks on his routes thanks to his quick feet, although his route tree is a little limited. Benson also played safety for his high school and won a state title in his senior season.
Offensive lineman Kadarius Smith: A bulldozer in the running game, Smith projects as a guard for SMU. He isn’t the quickest or the tallest (6-foot-3), but he may be the strongest of any of SMU’s 25 signees. He frequently throws defenders to the ground when run blocking. The Plano (Texas) High School product is ranked as three-star recruit and stayed with SMU despite a late pursuit by Oklahoma State.
Defensive end Michael Badejo: The Mansfield (Texas) Timberview three-star brings a much-needed element to SMU’s defense: speed off the edge. He will play defensive end for SMU after playing mostly as a stand-up rusher outside linebacker in high school. Badejo committed to SMU in June, passing up a few Big 12, Pac 12 and Big 10 offers and late interest from Notre Dame and Oregon State.
Running back/linebacker Jordan Carmouche: A former Arkansas commitment, the Manvel (Texas) native originally picked the Razorbacks over offers from Texas, UCLA, Baylor, Stanford and California, among others. He decommitted from Arkansas seeking a chance to play running back, which SMU gave him. He could still end up at linebacker, but his first chance will be on offense. Morris recruited a similar player at Clemson, current Tigers running back Wayne Gallman.
