Before Houston coach Tom Herman was luring elite recruits to play for the Cougars, Chad Morris was taking commitments from him.
SMU signed three former Houston commitments in its 2015 recruiting class, Morris’ first as the SMU’s head coach. Running back Braeden West, quarterback Ben Hicks and offensive tackle Bryce Wilds each flipped from Houston to SMU. All are expected to play when the Mustangs host the No. 11 Cougars on Saturday.
“I think this game is going to carry a little more. There’s the tension that has built up between the two teams,” West said. “Of course it’s going to be a big game and both teams are going to compete. We see this as a big game because of everything that’s happened in the past. We see this as a time to take some respect back from a lot of people that haven’t given us respect that we feel that we should have.”
There’s extra meaning in Saturday’s game for West. He was the only one of the three ex-Cougar commits to play in SMU’s 49-28 loss at Houston in 2015. Returning to his hometown for the first time as a college player, he lost two fumbles in Houston territory in the second quarter – one with the score tied at 14 and one with SMU leading 21-14.
“I didn’t have my best game (vs. Houston) last year,” West said. “So I feel like I have something to prove.”
Hicks, the highest-rated player SMU signed in 2015, was the first of the three to switch his commitment to SMU. A spring enrollee, He signed a financial aid agreement with Houston in August 2014, Tony Levine was the Cougars’ head coach. Upon Herman’s hiring, he decided to explore his options. He picked SMU over Texas Tech after a visit to campus that December.
Wilds flipped to SMU on Super Bowl Sunday at the conclusion of an official visit, three days before signing day. He is a former shot-putter who had played two years of football at that point. He originally committed to Levine’s staff in August 2014.
West pledged to Levine that same month, as a two-star recruit whose only other offer came from BYU. He stuck with his pledge after the coaching change, but SMU identified him as a top running back target soon after Morris was hired. One week before signing day, he flipped. The main reason? Morris.
“When I was going through the recruiting process, I was told you have to go to somebody that’s gonna make you go run through this wall right here. That’s how much he motivates you and that’s something that coach Morris instills in me. I trust coach Morris fully and I love him to death.”
*This story has been updated by editorial staff.
