Tennessee. Texas A&M. Oregon State. SMU football recruited transfers from three Power Five schools in May, bolstering its squad before the start of the 2017 season.
Chad Morris picked up from where he left off last offseason, when he landed two SEC transfers in former Arkansas quarterback Rafe Peevey and former LSU receiver Trey Quinn. Both players will debut for the Mustangs this season, and could play a large role in SMU’s offense.
This year, Morris nabbed two SEC players to help his defense, and turned to the PAC-12 for a key offensive addition.
The first of these Power Five recruits to choose SMU was defensive end Dimarya Mixon from Tennessee. Mixon spent the 2016 season backing up Derek Barnett, who was a first round NFL Draft selection by the Philadelphia Eagles last year. Mixon finished his career as a Volunteer with 19 tackles in 37 games, over three seasons. He recorded 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack, which came last season against Tennessee Tech.
Mixon is originally from Compton, California but went to West Mesquite High School near Dallas. Coming to SMU is something of a homecoming for him. Mixon will graduate from Tennessee this summer, and play his final year of eligibility for SMU in 2017.
The future is bright next stop SMU pic.twitter.com/dHSfMkwUwt
— Dimarya Mixon (@Dmixon52) May 16, 2017
SMU’s second power-five pickup this offseason was former Texas A&M linebacker Richard Moore. Moore made solid contributions in his two-year career at Texas A&M, making 68 tackles, 9.5 of which came for a loss. Like Mixon, Moore is also from the Dallas area, as he played at Cedar Hill High School. Moore will redshirt for the 2017 season, and have two more years of eligibility after that.
No man can stop what God has in store for me ! My story will be felt, seen and heard. Dallas I'm coming home! 2018 you'll feel me pic.twitter.com/6H18BKo6Ad
— richard moore (@xRichManex) June 5, 2017
SMU also secured a commitment from former Oregon State offensive tackle Will Hopkins. Hopkins battled mono and injuries throughout his career at Oregon State, appearing in 17 games for the Beavers and starting two. He will play for SMU in the 2017 season for his final year of eligibility. Hopkins’ journey to SMU will also be a return to Texas, as the 6’7”, 295-pound tackle is originally from Austin. Hopkins will bring much-needed size and experience to SMU’s young offensive line.
Morris has consistently added to his high school recruiting classes with transfers from big-name schools. As SMU looks to make a bowl game for the first time since 2012, these transfers could be what give the Mustangs the juice to get over the top.
