With Link Rhodes, SMU signs highest-ranked signing class in rankings era

On National Signing Day, SMU finished with its highest-ranked signing class in the rankings era. The Mustangs finished No. 31 overall in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.

SMU flipped junior college wide receiver Link Rhodes over the weekend from Arizona State, completing the 2025 signing class. This season in 10 games at Delta College, he caught 46 passes for 607 yards and four touchdowns, good for 13.2 yards per catch. Rhodes also held offers from San Diego State, Wyoming, Sacramento State, New Mexico, Louisiana Tech and others.

The highest-ranked signee in the class and in program history is Houston (Tex.) Lamar offensive tackle Dramodd Odoms. According to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies, Odoms is the No. 61 overall prospect and ninth-ranked offensive tackle in America. He ascended up the rankings thanks in part to huge week at the Navy All-American Bowl.

RELATED: Why Dramodd Odoms has high NFL Draft pick potential.

SMU has four high school additions at wide receiver in four-star Jalen Cooper, four-star Daylon Singleton, three-star Carterrious Brown and three-star Isaiah Robertson. Cooper and Singleton both enrolled early and rank as the No. 20 and No. 53 wide receivers in the country, respectively. Brown picked SMU over Arizona State, TCU and others while Robertson flipped from Texas Tech.

SMU also signed a four-star quarterback, bringing in Ty Hawkins, a San Antonio, Texas native who spent his final high school season at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Hawkins flipped from TCU to SMU this summer. He’s the lone quarterback addition from the high school ranks in the class for head coach Rhett Lashlee and quarterbacks coach D’Eriq King.

Joining him in the backfield is four-star Conroe (Tex.) running back Dramekco Green. Green moved up into the final On300 rankings thanks to his strong senior year and Navy All-American Bowl performance. On3 is the only service to give him a four-star grade, ranking him as the No. 242 overall prospect, No. 16 running back and No. 35 prospect in Texas.

At tight end, the Mustangs added a familiar face in Daphne (Ala.) Bayside Academy tight end Miles Uter. The younger brother of current SMU offensive lineman Graham Uter, Miles ranks as the No. 100 tight end in the country. SMU also signed Trinity Valley C.C. tight end Devon Martin, a former Mesquite (Tex.) Poteet standout.

Along the offensive line, Garin Justice also reeled in multiple other prospects in the trenches. Early enrollee Drew Hill is on campus after making the trek out from California to join the program. Under Armour All-American Abel Hoopii hails from Hawaii and Houston (Tex.) Heights offensive lineman Devinn Farris is another in-state prospect with Power Four offers.

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Flipping to the defensive side of the ball, SMU went into the Peach State for EDGE Jalen Shivers, the No. 73 overall edge in the country, per On3. Defensive line coach Calvin Thibodeaux held off hometown Georgia Tech to sign the early enrollee. In Louisiana, Houma (La.) Bourgeois defensive tackle Tyron Winslow picked the Mustangs in July over Houston, Missouri and others.

Co-defensive coordinator Maurice Crum inked a high school linebacker in the 2025 class, going to California to sign Narbonne standout Mark Iheanachor. Iheanachor enrolled early on the Hilltop and picked the Mustangs over Oklahoma, Washington and others. He also signed junior college linebacker Kyle Ferm out of California over NC State, Oregon State, Arizona, Kansas and others.

SMU held off a strong push from Baylor, Wisconsin and others for Anna (Tex.) cornerback Zay Gentry, who arrives this summer. An early enrollee, cornerbacks coach Rickey Hunley also added Duncanville (Tex.) cornerback Javion Holiday, a longtime commit, to the room. Gentry ranks as the No. 62 overall cornerback while Holiday ranks as the No. 76 cornerback nationally, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.

Defensive coordinator and safeties coach Scott Symons inked four safeties for the class. Junior college addition La’Modrick Spencer and Duncanville High (Tex.) safety Tyren Polley enrolled in January for classes. Spencer took official visits to Boise State and Illinois before committing to the Mustangs while TCU pushed hard for Polley this summer, but SMU held off that surge to sign him. DeSoto (Tex.) safety Sael Reyes and Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy safety Elijah Pratt arrive this summer.

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