The Reclamation Initiative | The Coaching Career of Nico Augustine

[The JZA]

Lionel Davenport about to be your QB's best friend

Stangs carved out a nice squad for the next season

[Captain Canada]

Transfer Portal
QB Skyler Williams

soap will be happy

that get back gonna be a motherfucker

I hope he's a backup at UTSA, hoe.

class looks solid

excited to see what Day 1 impact you get from some of these guys

Class came together a lot better than I expected it to. A lot of these freshman are going to be plug-and-play guys, for sure.

Lionel Davenport about to be your QB's best friend

Stangs carved out a nice squad for the next season

TEU

[Captain Canada]

2029 Season Preview - SMU Football

Head coach: Nico Augustine (3rd year)
Offensive Coordinator: Tony Sanchez (3rd year)
Defensive Coordinator: Kerry Abraham (3rd year)
2026 record: 14-1, 8-0 (2st in ACC)
Preseason Ranking: #5
Preseason All-Americans: None
Preseason All-ACC: C Leati Higgins (2nd Team)

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Will Alonzo Cheeseman ascend into the Upper Echelon of college QBs?
The sting from last season’s 54-45 Fiesta Bowl heartbreak still lingers all throughout Dallas. A shootout loss to Clemson in the College Football Playoff left the Mustangs with a painful reminder of how close they were to breaking through the sport’s highest ceiling. Their first loss of the season came at their darkest possible moment.

Now, as the 2029 season approaches, SMU brings back one of the nation’s most electrifying offenses, headlined by a quarterback whose star is still rising. The pieces are in place, the expectations are massive, and the Mustangs believe the best is yet to come.

Redshirt sophomore Alonzo Cheeseman returns as the face of SMU’s national championship aspirations. After exploding for 5,052 passing yards and 45 touchdowns - setting the ACC’s single-season records for both marks - Cheeseman enters the year as both a proven start, and yet an unfinished product.

His arm talent is elite and his pocket presence has grown dramatically through the past season. However, turnovers were the one black mark on an otherwise spectacular breakout. Cheeseman’s 17 interceptions came in streaks. Some were tip drill drops from wide receivers, others were the young quarterback making costly mistakes under the guise of being overzealous. If he can show he’s redefined his decision-making process and limits those costly mistakes, he has every tool to become a Heisman Trophy favorite.

To alleviate pressure on Cheeseman and balance an attack that heavily favoured the pass game, SMU has rebuilt their running backs room - inducing a blend of youth and athletic upside.

Justice Spielman flashed late last year after injuries limited incumbent starter Kyan Berry-Johnson. Splitting carries with Cal McCalebb showed his tough running style and won the hearts of Mustangs faithful. A full off-season to sharpen his vision, he enters 2029 poised for a breakout. His particular improvement on catching passes out of the backfield gives SMU a dynamic 1-2 punch with incoming true freshman Brian Volson.

Volson, a four-star recruit out of Texas, brings explosiveness to an SMU backfield that certainly could have used it in the College Football Playoffs last year. Despite his stature limiting him at 5-foot-9, Volson has a history of having no issue dropping the shoulder to gain extra yards.

Ol’ reliable J.J. Harrell is no longer attached to head coach Nico Augustine. Now catching passes in the NFL, the new face of the receiving corps is their statistical leader - Marquis Avant. Avant was electric last season, showing elite body control and incredible acceleration after the catch.

Dwayne Kasay, fresh off winning the Mackey Trophy as the nation’s top tight, is Cheeseman’s safety valve and a matchup nightmare for most defenses. He trailed off towards the end of the season in favour of the aforementioned Harrell and Avant, but is looking to dominate once again on his way to the NFL. Looking to take big next steps are Tomas Smoker and Eric DeLuca, who quietly proved they belonged in their limited action last year. True freshman Bobby Goodspeed is expected to avoid the redshirt, and gain action right away.

Walter Loudermilk will be looking to take on the left tackle spot from Dramodd Odoms, now in the NFL, which is no small task. Loudermilk, at 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds, is physically imposing and has improved his foot speed, but consistency will be the key for him this season. Titan Ethan Whitehead, standing at 6-foot-8, 310 pounds, will be right behind him, as one of the scariest prospects that SMU can’t help but not redshirt.

Junior Austin Jasmine will anchor his left guard spot as one of the most intriguing pieces of the Mustang offensive line, while Leati Higgins will officially take over the center spot from the now-graduated Joshua Bates. Mitch Slater returns to his right guard spot after missing the majority of last season with an injury, only returning in the playoffs while redshirt junior Mohammed Iwuoma fills out the right tackle spot, finally having the spot all to himself with King Large gone.

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With Lockridge and McCareins returning, does SMU have enough firepower to repeat?
If the offense is the engine of SMU’s championship push, the defense is the steel frame holding the entire operation together. And heading into the 2029 season, the Mustangs return nearly all of the pieces that made last year’s front seven one of the most feared units in college football.

This group is fast, violent, and filled with next-level talent - but replacing three stars in the secondary means the defense will need its linebackers and pass rush to carry the early load. Fortunately for SMU, they have the personnel to do exactly that.

MIKE linebacker Kevin Lockridge is more than SMU’s defensive captain - he’s the spiritual center of the entire program.

A 2nd-team All-American last season, Lockridge missed a good chunk of last season before coming back with a vengeance, leading SMU to and through the College Football Playoffs to the tune of 94 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, and two interceptions - one of which was ran back for a touchdown. His instincts, leadership, and rare ability to diagnose plays before they develop make him the Mustangs’ emotional and tactical anchor.

As defensive coordinator Kerry Abraham - back of his third season at the helm - put it; “We’ll go as far as the Hulkbuster takes us.”

If Lockridge is the heart, Thomas “Tommy Gun” McCariens is the blade.

The superstar WILL linebacker shattered the NCAA single-season sack record with 25.5 sacks, turning opposing backfields into weekly disaster zones. He plays with a combination of bend, buster, and relentless violent energy rarely seen at the college level. Despite ranking as a Day 2 pick in the NFL, McCariens returned, citing “unfinished business.”

While Lockridge and McCariens are the headliners, SMU’s defensive ends are built to take advantage of the chaos the duo create. Josh Mingo flashed last season but never fully broke out, while Junior Redd presents as an explosive athlete who plays with controlled aggression. With McCariens blitzing from depth, Mingo and Redd are exposed to dominate the edges

Trent Landry is coming off an impressive true freshman campaign that led him to an All-American designation. He showed rare maturity and a feel for the game from day 1.

While he may not have the national recognition of Lockridge or McCariens, Ben Stutz is one of the Mustangs’ most respected internal leaders. He brings intelligence, communication, and rock-solid tackling, excelling in run fits. He holds his ground, and ensures the defense never loses its shape. Like Landry, from day 1, Stutz has proved he not only belonged here, but he would take over.

Together, Stutz-Lockridge-McCariens form what may be the best linebacker trio in all of college football.

On the backside, SMU graduated and sent to the NFL three pillars of last year’s secondary. William Nettles was their speedster that never seemed too out of sorts on an island. Marcellus Barnes Jr. was their number one corner that gave them five interceptions last year, and free safety Jaylen Moses took home the Jim Thorpe as the nation’s best defensive back.

Armani Medlock led the whole team in tackles, and could be put anywhere on the field and not be uncomfortable. Many thought Moses could have duplicated his award and shipped one over to Medlock. That’s how instrumental he was. Likewise, true freshman Larry Tu’ikolovatu had a sensational true freshman season. Coaches believe he could be the next great SMU star.

SMU reloaded on defense, and despite both starting cornerbacks from last season being sent off to the league, SMU will rely on experienced players ready to take that next step with only a National title feeling like enough after a heartbreaking end to last year.

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2029 TEAM SCHEDULE

Week	Opponent	Result
0	OFF	--
1	vs #15 Duke	--
2	at TCU	--
3	at Houston	--
4	vs #3 Clemson	--
5	vs UConn	--
6	at Tulane	--
7	vs #23 North Carolina	--
8	at West Virginia	--
9	at #8 Pittsburgh	--
10	OFF	--
11	vs Virginia Tech	--
12	at Georgia Tech	--
13	vs Michigan State	--
14	OFF	--	--

[The JZA]

You fellas got a long stretch til bye week

If everyone can stay healthy for a good chunk of it, think the squad can do some serious damage