SMU’s process of rebuilding its football program will take its first step on Wednesday. The day marks National Signing Day and the Mustangs are expected to sign at least 23 high school seniors for next year’s football squad.
Head coach Phil Bennett ended his first season 3-9 after getting off to an insulting 0-7 start. SMU’s offense ranked near the bottom of the nation for most of the season before late season shake-ups led to increased productivity.
This season, SMU has attained commitments from 23 players, five of whom are among the Rivals.com Top 100 Recruits in the nation. Twenty of those 23 are from Texas, marking the first stage of any college program looking to rebuild.
Recruiting is a delicate process that SMU has been unable to master in its post-death-penalty phase.
A Sports Illustrated article stated that “many of the 81 Mustangs on scholarships are marginal Division I-A players.”
Former head coach Mike Cavan, whom Bennett replaced, cited a lack of talent for SMU’s trouble between the sidelines. Cavan’s second recruiting class included four of the state’s top 100 players, the most that SMU had seen since the program’s execution.
That class focused on defense, yet the program never reached .500 after Cavan’s first season at the helm.
The question is which, if any, of the Mustang recruits will make an impact? How long will it take them to make an impact? Colleges across the country are forced to play the odds. Coaches and recruiting coordinators must face the task of getting as many good players as possible. No player is a lock to succeed. But each player will be given that chance.
“The players people talk about are the guys you recruited that didn’t work and the guys you didn’t get that turned into stars,” former Texas recruiting coordinator Randy Rodgers said. “But there’s a lot more to it than that.”
SMU has uncovered jewels in running backs Keylon Kincade and ShanDerrick Charles. Quarterback Richard Bartel showed signs that he could be compared to many quarterbacks. With those players returning, SMU will have an opportunity to build on the previous season’s successes.
The Mustangs of 2001 went 4-7. Bennett’s hiring was expected to increase the win total immediately. But when the season started, the coach found that the quarterbacks he expected to coach were nowhere to be found. Both David Page and Kelan Luker went in different directions; Page pursued business while Luker pursued music.
The result was three wins and Bennett’s oft-stated commitment to building a winning football program.
“You can’t judge just by wins and losses,” recruiting analyst Bobby Burton said. “You might have a great recruiting class, and they don’t finish well. Or they might be playing with other classes that aren’t as good.”
This figures to be SMU’s top recruiting class since the death penalty.
Bennett is commonly referred to as a player’s coach for his positive attitude and ability to relate to his athletes. He played defensive end at Texas A&M in the 1970s, so he knows what it’s like to play in the Lone Star state. His ability to recruit will be the deciding factor in whether or not SMU ever returns to its pre-annihilation prominence.
The signings will be officially announced Wednesday afternoon. The Mustangs hope one name will make a difference next season. The odds are growing that that name could be that of its head coach.
