SMU will open 2020-21 AAC play tonight, as it hosts undefeated East Carolina.

SMU basketball nearly had a last-minute Big Ten opponent on its schedule, Tim Jankovich said on his show Monday.

Chris Naggar and Ulysses Bentley IV led the way for SMU as the All-American Athletic Conference Team was announced Tuesday.

Here are some quick recruiting nuggets to jump-start your Tuesday.

I still feel pretty good about SMU landing Duncanville offensive tackle Savion Byrd Wednesday morning. SMU is in a serious recruiting battle with Oklahoma, and I also think LSU could be a player in the final hours. That said, I believe Byrd is SMU's to lose.
Having Ra'Shaad Samples agree to that three-year contract extension is so big, bigger than some may think. Samples and Byrd have a great relationship, and a likable coach like Samples could be why a player like Byrd comes to the Hilltop.
If Byrd chooses SMU, he'll be the highest-rated commit since Rivals.com began rating players in 2002.

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Dallas Parish Episcopal quarterback Preston Stone will sign with SMU on Wednesday. In discussing quarterbacks, let's also keep an eye on the transfer portal. There are two very good quarterbacks in the portal who could not only help the Mustangs but serve as a one-year mentor for Stone -- assuming Shane Buechele chooses to move on.
Baylor's Charlie Brewer and Houston Baptist's Bailey Zappe are two to watch for the next few days. Both have shown they can put up incredible stats against respectable competition.
Brewer threw for 9,700 yards and 65 touchdowns, and he also rushed for 1,039 yards and 22 touchdowns in four seasons. Zappe threw for 10,004 yards and 78 yards in four seasons -- with this past season only lasting four games. He threw for 1,833 yards and 15 touchdowns with only one interception this year.

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By now, you've read about Max Cummins, the Texas defensive transfer who will come to SMU as a graduate transfer. He was the athlete we referred to in the Dec. 3 nuggets package.
Now, we've learned there could be yet another former Big 12 player looking to make a possible comeback. This player hasn't had much conversation with SMU as of yet, but his size and skill set immediately makes him an intriguing prospect. We hope to divulge more information soon.

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Two 2021 recruits to watch for the final hours before early signing period: Bryan Rudder wide receiver Keithron Lee and Dallas Parish Episcopal offensive tackle Austin Uke.
Lee has Texas high on his list, along with Ole Miss, Baylor, TCU and Tennessee. Uke's watched his stock rise and has offers from Stanford, Texas, Northwestern, Florida State, Penn State and others.
Both of these athletes will be tough for SMU to land. Tough, but not impossible. With Uke, SMU has stressed the two-headed monster of a budding football program with a well-established academic resume. It also helps that Stone and defensive end Jayden Jones are high school teammates of Uke's.
Look for the Mustangs to continue recruiting both players until the very end.

The 2020 football season is officially over for SMU.

The HillTopics learned early Monday evening that the Mustangs would not compete in the 2020 Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl on Saturday. A source told The HillTopics that COVID-19 issues has abruptly ended SMU's season.

The Mustangs (7-3) were expected to face UTSA (7-4) at Toyota Stadium on Saturday. SMU was hoping to snap a two-game losing skid against one of the best teams in Conference USA.

An official announcement on the Frisco Bowl, per multiple sources, is expected to come Tuesday. If it is canceled, as expected, that will be the 12th bowl of the 2020 season not to take place.

Another one-time Texas Longhorn has found a home on the Hilltop. Defensive end Max Cummins, who once retired because of knee injuries, is ready to return as a grad transfer for SMU.

Special shout-out to Javi Cardenas of our UTSA site who put this together.

We've reached the week of college football's early signing period, and SMU is expected to land one of its most intriguing recruiting classes in years, top to bottom. Make sure you're following along with a subscription to The HillTopics.

Tell a friend. Tell a bunch of friends.

December 13, 2020

For Immediate Release

SMU and UTSA Selected to Play in 2020 Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl

FRISCO, TX — SMU (7-3), representing the American Athletic Conference, and UTSA (7-4), representing Conference USA, will meet in the 2020 Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl.

The bowl game will be played Saturday, Dec. 19, at 3:30 p.m. CT at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. The game will air on ESPN2.

“We are excited to have two outstanding teams participate in the 2020 Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl, the SMU Mustangs and the UTSA Roadrunners” said Sean Johnson, Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl Executive Director. “We are looking forward to kicking off the Bowl Season with this great matchup and to welcoming the teams and their fans to Frisco, Texas. The Frisco Bowl is known for having exciting games with lots of professional talent – over the last six years, the bowl is the third highest scoring bowl game, and 24 Frisco Bowl alumni were drafted or signed free agent pro football contracts in 2020.”



SMU went 7-3 in a 2020 regular season in which the Mustangs were ranked as high as No. 16 nationally. SMU ranks in the national top 20 in scoring offense (17th, 38.6 ppg), total offense (13th, 494.5 ypg) and passing offense (14th, 318.0 ypg) and are led by quarterback Shane Buechele who is first among all active NCAA FBS players with 11,660 career passing yards. SMU will make its 18th appearance in a bowl game and its second appearance in the Frisco Bowl after playing in the inaugural game in 2017.



UTSA finished the season with a 7-4 record and enters the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl on a three-game winning streak. The Roadrunners are lead by sophomore RB Sincere McCormick who ranks second in the FBS with a UTSA-record 1,345 rushing yards. McCormick is a Doak Walker Award semifinalist. This will be the second bowl game in UTSA’s history (New Mexico Bowl, 2016).



Tickets to the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl can be purchased by going to https://thefriscobowl.com/tickets/ or via telephone at (855) 492-8053. Phone orders may be placed Monday-Saturday (9 a.m. – 9 p.m. CT) and Sunday (10 a.m. – 6 p.m. CT). All tickets will be mobile tickets through the AXS App, available for iOS and Android. Seating will be assigned in a socially distanced manner with ticket blocks being limited to accommodate a safe game experience.



COVID-19 Measures

All fans attending the 2020 Tropical Smooth Cafe Frisco Bowl must adhere to Toyota Stadium’s COVID-19 safety protocols. These include but are not limited to following all social distancing guidelines and wearing a mask at all times except when eating or drinking. For a complete list of COVID-19 safety precautions, please visit ToyotaStadiumDallas.com/StadiumSafety.



ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of 35 collegiate sporting events nationwide. The roster includes four early-season college football games, 17 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events, a college softball event and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 400 hours of live programming, reaches nearly 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in more than 10 markets across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.

About Toyota Stadium
Opened in 2005, Toyota Stadium is one of the first soccer-specific stadiums built in the United States. It hosts MLS and international soccer matches, high school and college football games, as well as concerts and other events. The 145-acre Toyota Soccer Center also includes 17 regulation-sized, tournament-grade soccer fields and is also home to the organization’s nationally-renowned youth development system. It is home to MLS’ FC Dallas, the FCS championship game, the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl and the National Soccer Hall of Fame which opened in 2018.

The Early Signing Period is just days away. Here are some predictions on the top uncommitted prospects in the South Central part of the country, including a quartet of five-stars

As the group does some late-night digging, here are six words for the masses to kick things off: Look for some big Friday news.
You'll be happy.

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We've had a couple of people ask about Mansfield Legacy defensive end David Abiara. He decommitted from Notre Dame the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and there are those asking if SMU is still interested in him.
There was a time where the Mustangs were hoping for a flip, but Abiara's had to deal with off-the-field issues that could bump him off the list of not only SMU but also other programs, Power 5 and Group of 5 related.
From what I've been told, don't expect SMU to take Abiara. There's definitely such a thing as giving players a second chance, but I don't know if SMU would want to gamble. They've got a solid group of defensive ends in the 2021 class already.

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The race for landing three-star offensive tackle Austin Uke gets tougher and tougher for schools, SMU included. The Parish Episcopal lineman continues to land offers, and he added a big one from Stanford on Sunday.
A Stanford offer is big in that it not only provides an opportunity to play Power 5 football but also gives a student-athlete a chance to earn a degree from a prestigious academic institution. This is one of the reasons why Uke finds SMU so intriguing. Now that Stanford is in the mix, does it become even more difficult for SMU to close the deal?
Uke decommitted from Holy Cross on Nov. 22. Since then, he's added offers from both Stanford and Missouri. Other schools in the mix include USC, Florida State, Penn State and Georgia Tech. SMU is hoping its relationship with Parish Episcopal can be a game-changer. The Mustangs have two 2021 commits from the school in four-star quarterback Preston Stone and three-star defensive end Jayden Jones.

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Vanderbilt linebacker Dimitri Moore has been in the transfer portal for a little more than a week. SMU fans would love to see him return home, as he's from Cedar Hill.
One step further: Fans would love to see Moore name continue at SMU. He's the younger brother of SMU linebacker Richard Moore.
Moore had 36 tackles at linebacker this season. He originally opted out of the season because of COVID-19 concerns but returned to the Commodores after the start of the season. Moore was the Commodores' leading tackler in 2019, finishing with 99 total.
If Dimitri Moore were to come to SMU, be on the lookout for a potential domino effect that could help the Mustangs add a name in the 2022 class. 2022 cornerback Jalon Peoples is the next brother in the family expected to shine. The four-star prospect has an SMU offer. He also has 25-plus offers altogeher, so the battle won't be an easy one.

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Stay tuned for possible news on a player who spent time in the Big 12 and is looking to make a possible comeback (he's been out of football). Our sources have some intel on a player who could help a program at defensive end or tight end. That's all we can say for now, but we're hoping to divulge more soon.

SMU scored a commitment from Prosper 2021 Mason Jolley, a linebacker who is the younger cousin of a current Mustang defender.

SMU accepted an invitation to play in the 2020 Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl on Wednesday. And while nothing is official as of Thursday morning, the Mustangs' opponent is expected to be a team from Conference USA. Here are five teams to keep an eye on.

A one-time Tulsa pledge, Prosper linebacker Mason Jolley spoke to The HillTopics about his new offer from the Mustangs.

SMU announced Wednesday afternoon that running backs coach/recruiting coordinator Ra'Shaad Samples has agreed to a three-year extension.

SMU will make a short drive on Dec. 19 to compete in the 2020 Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl.

The Frisco Bowl will be played at Toyota Stadium in Frisco and will be televised on ESPN2. SMU's opponent, as of Wednesday afternoon, hasn't been determined. The opponent, however, is expected to be from Conference USA.

Click here to read the full release by the American Athletic Conference.

A once-strong nonconference schedule has been noticeably altered for an SMU team looking to gain respect.

SMU co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach AJ Ricker was named one of 56 nominees for the annual Broyles Award, which honors college football's top assistant coach.

Click here for the release by the Frank & Barbara Broyles Foundation.

The Burlsworth Trophy is awarded to college football's best player who started off as a walk-on. SMU running back Tyler Lavine on Tuesday was announced as a nominee for the award.

In nine games, Lavine rushed for 310 yards and five touchdowns. The 5-11, 220-pounder also caught eight passes for 93 yards. Lavine even recorded a fumble recovery on special teams.

Click here for more on Lavine, courtesy of SMU Football.

SMU's Chris Naggar has been named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, which honors the nation's top college kicker.

Naggar, a grad transfer from Texas, is one of 20 semifinalists on the list. He's the only American Athletic Conference representative (see the list here).

As the placekicker, Naggar made 17 of 21 field goals this season, with the longest being from 48 yards against Tulane. Naggar also was the team's punter, pinning eight punts inside the 20-yard line and booting seven punts of 50 yards or better.

Click here for more on Naggar, courtesy of SMU Football.

Point guard Kendric Davis has been named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Week after leading the Mustangs to three victories last week, including a big road test Saturday at Dayton.

Davis averaged 17.3 points, 9.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 3.3 steals in games against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Houston Baptist and Dayton. Against the Flyers, he finished with 21 points and six rebounds.

Click here to read the release from the AAC.

The American Football Coaches Association has announced the members of the 2021 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute. SMU co-offensive coordinator Garrett Riley has made that list.

The institute is a program that identifies some of the top young talent in coaching. Selected individuals, according to the AFCA, "are invited to attend the one-day institute that features a curriculum of interactive lectures focused on topics specifically tailored to emphasize leadership in the coaching profession, ethics, influential responsibilities, career progression, and family balance."

Riley, 31, helped coach SMU to a 2020 season where it averaged 38.6 points and 494.5 yards per game. The Mustangs ranked in the top 15 nationally in total offense and the top 20 nationally in scoring.

Click here to read more about the program and see the participants selected for the 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute.

2022 Micheal Ibukun-Okeyode, a rising defensive end from Rowlett, picked up an SMU offer just before Thanksgiving.