Spring Break
SMU football signs 28 players in 2008 recruiting class
Jordan Hofeditz, Editor in Chief, jhofedit@smu.edu
Issue date: 2/7/08 Section: News
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Last year the Mustangs signed 23 players, five of whom saw playing time as true freshmen. Next year that number could increase at more crucial, skill positions.
Thirteen of the 28 players are defensive with the other 15 playing on the offensive side of the ball. The class includes two quarterbacks and five receivers.
Jones also brought in a share of defensive backs and linebackers.
The theme of the press conference was that everyone is competing for a job. And that includes at quarterback.
"I think everybody knows whenever a new coach comes in, I'm going to evaluate everything," Jones said. "So many times you can't, as a coach, evaluate the players from a previous situation."
Jones continued to say that he has to evaluate the quarterbacks in his offense before he can make a decision on who the quarterback will be.
Braden Smith, from Rockwall, and Bo Levi Mitchell, from Katy, will join Justin Willis, Zach Rhodes and Logan Turner in battling for the starting position. Smith and Mitchell combined for 63 touchdowns and just seven interceptions in their senior seasons.
The secondary received a lift including a junior college transfer Deyon McElroy and Keith Robinson from Atco, N.J., who sent in a tape to Jones after the coach was hired at SMU.
The top recruit the Mustangs signed, according to ESPN.com is Victor Jones. Victor Jones is a 6-foot-1-inch, 219-pound linebacker from Richland. Another top recruit, Taylor Thompson will be asked by Jones to move from tight end to defensive end.
The move is necessary because the offense that Jones runs does not include a tight end. Even with the position change Thompson chose SMU over Vanderbilt, Colorado State and Oklahoma State.
Jones said that he received boxes of tapes from players after it was announced that he was the head coach at SMU. One of the tapes was from E.J. Drewery.
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