Article on the SMU turnaround | The Boneyard

Article on the SMU turnaround

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Interesting read as Sonny Dykes took a different route to turn SMU around. The roster has 35 transfers or about 1/3 of the roster. In total, 21 players are graduates. It look like about 12 are P5 transfers with the rest G5, FCS, D2 (1), and JCs. Unfortunately, I don't think the massive transfer strategy would work at UConn.

Dykes was able to get QB Shane Buechele, a grad transfer Junior from Texas which has really helped his offense. Notice the article mentions Dyke's Air Raid offense and there is no mention of Rhett Lashlee as it is Dyke's offense.

How SMU has shocked college football with a surprising undefeated start to 2019
 
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I would surmise it’s a tad easier to get transfers to come to Dallas than Storrs. How many miles from home are the transfers now? Likely not far.

I didn't post this the other day because it's the Athletic and you have to have a subscription to read it... but this partly answers your question:



>>Dykes loved the potential of the SMU job in part because of its proximity to local high school talent, and the high school recruiting has gone well — his first full class last year was No. 3 in the AAC and No. 68 nationally, according to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings. Dykes, the son of longtime Texas Tech head coach Spike Dykes, knows the state like the back of his hand.

What Dykes didn’t expect was he’d be inundated with Power 5 transfers, most of them looking to come home to the Dallas-Fort Worth area.“I figured there would be three, four a year,” he said. This past offseason, SMU brought in 16 transfers, according to 247Sports’ transfer database. That’s at least four more than anyone else. The year before, the Mustangs’ six graduate transfer additions were the most in the country.

It has necessitated its own recruiting strategy. So many players have reached out to SMU that it has to be. Dykes said at one point during the last recruiting cycle, they had 38 potential transfers on their board. The transfer portal makes the process easier, and SMU staffers check it every day. During the daily recruiting film breakdown, the staff looks at high school players, then they look at potential transfer players. “I’m not going to lie, we hear from three or four a day,” Dykes said of people reaching out. “I’ve heard four today — legit guys. They’ve either entered the transfer portal or have reached out to the high school coach to reach out to us and are considering the portal.”<<

>>For Group of 5 programs like SMU, it’s become the best way to bring in Power 5 talent, whether it’s someone who is looking for more playing time or perhaps is homesick. “We weren’t getting Shane Buechele coming out of high school,” Dykes said. “We weren’t getting Reggie Roberson coming out of high school. When you can add guys who are difference-makers like that, you wouldn’t believe how many guys have reached out. It’s blown my mind. We’re just trying to make sure it’s the right guys.”

Of the eight FBS teams to bring in at least eight transfers last offseason, five were Group of 5 teams near major cities and fertile recruiting grounds (SMU, Houston, UCF, FAU, FIU). Those locations are where the most high school players come from, so it’s where most kids will look to return.

Buechele is from Arlington. Roberson is from DeSoto. Stephens is from Plano. All in the Metroplex. Of SMU’s 16 offseason transfer additions, 10 were from the DFW area. Most are kids who are looking to come home, where it’s easier for family and friends to watch.<<
 
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Cincinnati lost 11 in transfer and gained 7 in 2019 portal.

The trick is to trend upward in these movements....lose deadwood and gain contributors.
 
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Cincinnati lost 11 in transfer and gained 7 in 2019 portal.

The trick is to trend upward in these movements....lose deadwood and gain contributors.

My Mustangs had a lot of holes to fill after Chad Morris whiffed on a number of his picks. In particular, QB, OL, and DB/LB were in need of players to replace Morris’ misses.

The article doesn’t mention it, but some of the transfers come in as walk ons and try to prove themselves in Fall camp. Brandon Stephens (UCLA) is a prime example. He grew up in a Dallas suburb. He wanted to play DB instead of RB and was looking for an opportunit.

He walked on as a CB (position switch), won the job, and was put on scholarship. He was almost as big a get as Shane. He will play on Sundays if he keeps improved.
 
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SMU's big gain was at QB with 4 star Shane Buechel coming from Texas.

A 4 star TE from Bama...and a 4 star LB from Auburn, 4 star safety from Nebraska.

Brandon Stephens was a 3 star...nice portal gets.
 

Redding Husky

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Texas is unique. Many kids get homesick for Dallas and Texas after a couple years away. If they still want to play Division 1 football, their options are SMU, TCU, or North Texas.
 

Uconnalliance

Please cancel the program all hope is lost
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Like to pickup Storrs and move it to the south
 

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