How SMU football transfers fared in 2023

SMU made waves with its transfer class for the second season in a row and the 2023 group delivered on the field.

Of the 25 transfers, 15 of them started at least one game and three more played key roles throughout the season. Elijah Roberts, Jordan Miller and Charles Woods started all 14 games for the Mustangs in their first season. Jonathan McGill was named a team captain.

While there were strong additions to the offensive side through the portal, it was the defense that got the biggest boost. Along with those four, the defense also had a regular starter at the corner opposite Woods with Chris Megginson and the team’s two leading tacklers in linebackers Kobe Wilson and Ahmad Walker.

The offense got its biggest boost at running back and on the offensive line. Both LJ Johnson and Jaylan Knighton came in and produced while Hyrin White and Logan Parr started at the beginning of the season and PJ Williams turned into a starter late.

Here is how they fared in 2023:

WR Romello Brinson

Brinson was fourth in the team in catches and yards with 28 for 431 and a pair of touchdowns. He had a 74-yard TD catch against Tulsa. Brinson started eight games, including the final seven.

He has a chance to make an even bigger impact this season in his second year at SMU and third with head coach Rhett Lashlee.

CB Kyron Chambers

Chambers did not play in his first season with the Mustangs and second season overall. He could play a big role for the team this upcoming season with a year of learning under his belt. Chambers had a nice fumble forced during the spring game.

OL Jakai Clark

Clark was expected to come in and compete for a spot on the interior of the line, but came in overweight. He was able to get into games later in the season and now seems poised to be a starter this season.

Clark repped at right guard with the No. 1 group throughout the spring.

CB Jaelyn Davis-Robinson

Robinson played in 13 games in a reserved role, finishing with 19 tackles and an interception. An injury this spring slowed him down some, but he is a leading candidate to earn one of the starting roles this fall.

TE Micah Hilts

Hilts caught one pass for seven yards in six games. It was his final year of eligibility.

WR Jordan Hudson

Hudson was third on the team with 30 catches for a fifth-best 425 yards, but he made plays when it mattered most tying for a team-high with seven touchdowns. He got more comfortable as the season went on, but then changed sides when Jordan Kerley went out for the season that possibly slowed him down from making bigger strides at the end of the year.

Hudson could be the go-to guy in the SMU offense this season. He has all the intangibles and a second season in the system and with both quarterbacks could mean breakout production.

OL Caleb Johnson

Johnson proved to be a depth piece on the line, playing mostly on special teams last year. This offseason he worked in a backup role.

RB LJ Johnson Jr.

When healthy, Johnson showed off what made him a top recruit out of high school and the portal. He finished with 109 carries for 576 yards and four touchdowns in 11 games. He went for over 100 yards and a touchdown against Louisiana Tech, UNT and Memphis.

Johnson is in position to be RB1 for SMU this fall but has to show better consistency and durability than he did this past season.

RB Jaylan Knighton

Knighton was the top back for the Mustangs this past season, rushing for 745 yards on 136 carries and tied for the team lead with seven touchdowns. He showed off his big-play ability with a 95-yard touchdown run against Charlotte and also went for over 100 yards against UNT.

He started seven of the 12 games he appeared in last year and will battle Johnson for the starting role again this season.

S Jonathan McGill

McGill turned into a leader from the first day he was at SMU last offseason. That carried over into the season as he was named a team captain and made 12 starts in 14 games. He was the fourth-leading tackler with 55, including 5.5 for loss and was second on the team with nine pass breakups and intercepted a pass in the win against Rice.

When McGill announced he was returning to SMU for his final year of eligibility it was a big boost. He will likely be a captain and a starter again this year.

CB Chris Megginson

Megginson was exactly what the Mustangs needed, a consistent corner to help a secondary that had struggled in previous seasons. He started all 12 regular season games, finishing with 21 tackles and six pass breakups, including three in the win at East Carolina.

His final game at SMU came in the AAC championship game as he did not play in the bowl game and is out of eligibility.

DL Jordan Miller

A big part, both figuratively and literally, of the defensive makeover was adding Miller in the middle of the defensive line. He was a difference-maker in the middle drawing double-teams, moving the pocket and a run-stuffer in the middle.

Miller was invited to the East-West Shrine Bowl and is projected as a late-round NFL Draft pick or picked up quickly as an undrafted free agent.

CB Keyshon Mills

Mills did not play following his transfer from Colorado and is no longer with the team.

QB Alex Padilla

Padilla served his purpose as a veteran presence in the SMU quarterback room last year for his only season. He only attempted seven passes, completing five of them for 59 yards, in four games played. He was a stop-gap ahead of true freshman Keldric Luster if something happened to both Preston Stone and Kevin Jennings.

OL Logan Parr

Parr ended up starting every game but one for the Mustangs at left guard. He helped solidify an offensive line that went through changes throughout the season and earned first team All-AAC honors.

He did not participate this spring after going through offseason surgery, but is expected to be back and healthy for the regular season. Whether he retains his starting role or serves as a backup will be determined by when he returns and how long it takes him to get back into game strength.

DL Kori Roberson Jr.

Roberson wasted little time making an impact in an SMU jersey. He caught a tipped pass for an interception and returned it for a touchdown in the opener against La. Tech. Roberson finished the season with 29 tackles, including five for loss and three sacks in a reserve tackle role.

With the additions in the portal again this year, it looks like Roberson will once again be a backup, but he is a very talented and experienced backup for a group that will likely rotate a lot of bodies in and out this year once again.

EDGE Elijah Roberts

Roberts was the crowned jewel of the 2023 transfer class. He was a menace coming off the edge, finishing the season with 37 tackles, including 12.5 for loss and 10 sacks. Roberts added seven quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and a pair of pass breakups.

His 10 sacks were second in the American and 17th in the country. Roberts was named to the Action Network All-America Team and was All-AAC Second Team.

Roberts will return to SMU for his final year of eligibility, a big boost for an SMU defense that will face bigger challenges this season.

EDGE Cameron Robertson

Robertson put in another solid campaign in his first year at SMU, following an All-Freshman C-USA team selection the year before. He made one start, but played in every game, finishing with 19 tackles, 5.5 for loss and four sacks.

He has the ability to play either on the end or at Bandit, giving him versatility and likely more snaps moving forward.

DB Cale Sanders Jr.

Sanders was a valuable piece in a couple of ways. Not only did he step into the starting lineup when Brandon Crossley got injured. But his effectiveness allowed SMU to keep Crossley out for the rest of the regular season, maintaining his year of eligibility.

Sanders ended up starting eight games and finished with 31 tackles, including four for loss, forced three fumbles, intercepted a pass and broke up seven passes.

In a safeties room that is full of experience and talent, Sanders is another who is learning multiple positions this offseason and will compete for a starting role.

WR Key’Shawn Smith

Smith was a solid option throughout the season at receiver, picking up six starts. His best game came in the win against ECU, catching three passes for 60 yards and a touchdown in what was mostly a defensive battle. He finished the year with 25 catches for 392 yards and three TDs.

He is an option to take on a bigger role this season. It will be his second at SMU and fourth in the Lashlee offense. In a year where the rotation might shrink in order to get more consistency from the position, Smith is a strong candidate to take a Top 4 spot on the outside.

LB Ahmad Walker

Walker picked up right where he left off at his previous stop with defensive coordinator Scott Symons, leading the room and making plays. He started all 14 games and was second on the team with 65 total tackles and tied for team-high in solo tackles with 45. Walker also had 6.5 tackles for loss and broke up five passes. He was an All-AAC honorable mention pick.

Expect more of the same from Walker this season. This spring, his work load was limited to keep him fresh, but there was also work in making sure he was sound playing both linebacker positions. Walker is also expected to be even more of a vocal leader for the SMU defense this coming year.

OL Hyrin White

White was a plug-and-play offensive tackle for the Mustangs this past year. He came in and immediately locked down the right tackle position where he started for 10 games before suffering a season, and collegiate career-ending injury.

OL PJ Williams

Williams just missed out on being a starter to begin the season, but was by the end of the year. He made a couple of spot starts at left tackle before starting the final three games of the season there. Williams also got some work at guard early in the season.

Williams is now projected to be SMU’s starting left tackle going into this season.

LB Kobe Wilson

SMU knew it was getting a veteran in Wilson, but his production proved to be much more. Wilson led the team with 80 tackles, 15 more than the No. 2 spot. He also had three tackles for loss, one sack, an interception, a fumble forced, a fumble recovered, four quarterback hurries and a pass breakup.

Wilson had a season-high 11 tackles in the AAC championship game against Tulane, 10 against Charlotte and eight, including one for loss, against TCU.

Wilson, like Walker, will be a leader and key piece again this fall after getting some rest in the spring and a focus on cross training both linebacker positions.

CB Charles Woods

Woods provided SMU with a lockdown corner for his one season with the team. He started in all 14 games, finishing with 26 tackle, including one for loss, and led the team with 11 pass breakups.

He stepped up in big games too, notching season highs in pass breakups (four) and tackles (six) at Memphis and blocked a kick in the AAC championship game against Tulane. Woods was an All-AAC third team pick and leaves a big hole to fill on this year’s roster.

At 5-foot-11, he might be considered undersized for the NFL, but with his collegiate track record I would expect some team to at least offer him a camp invite.