The Reclamation Initiative | The Coaching Career of Nico Augustine

[Captain Canada]

SMU Spring Camp Update: New Tempo, New Faces, and Battles Everywhere
By Veronica Downs | SMU Daily

DALLAS -- Spring camp at SMU feels less like a reset and more like a continuation of something already humming at a championship level. Still, change is unavoidable, even for a reigning national power, and as the Mustangs work through their spring slate, the early storylines are beginning to crystallize across the roster.

At the center of it all is Alonzo Cheeseman, the star quarterback coming off a historic Heisman Trophy campaign. If there were concerns about complacency, Cheeseman has erased them quickly. He's been the steward of a philosophical shift on offense under new offensive coordinator Kwame Aguyei, and by all accounts, he's thriving.

Where former offensive coordinator Tony Sanchez favored a free-flowing, spread-heavy attack, Aguyei's offense has brought a more controlled, assertive tempo - still explosive, but deliberate. Cheeseman has embraced the change, commanding protections, orchestrating checks at the line, and showing a deeper understanding of situational football. Coaches and teammates alike have pointed to his leadership as the glue holding together a unit learning a new choice.

A Crowded, Compelling Backfield

No position group has been more competitive this spring than the running back room, which may be the deepest SMU has field in years.

The early standout has been Dwayne Sowells, the four-star freshman out of Springfield, Massachusetts. Sowells' burst and vision have consistently popped on film, and his ability to diagnose lanes before they fully develop has drawn comparisons to backs far beyond his age. While five-star recruit Avery Knowles arrived with massive expectations, Sowells has quietly - and steadily - set himself apart through consistency and explosiveness.

The incumbent starter, Brian Volson, has struggled to find his rhythm early in camp, opening the door for others. That includes Cal McCalebb, whose postseason heroics remain fresh in the program's memory. McCalebb added noticeable size this offseason and has looked more dynamic, hoping to reclaim a significant share of the carries in a backfield that suddenly has no shortage of options.

Wide Receivers Ready to Pop

On the perimeter, SMU's receiver room looks primed for a breakout. Marquis Avant remains the steady leader of the group, setting the tone with his route running and physicality. Behind him, Tomas Smoker and Eric DeLuca are pushing hard to take that next step and become weekly impact players.

There's also a renewed sense of urgency among younger receivers. Sophomore Bobby Goodspeed and redshirt freshman Mustafa Agude, once highly regarded recruits, are finally getting meaningful reps and showing flashes that suggest they could carve out real roles in 2030.

And then, there's Kenyon Natson. The five-star phenom has looked ever bit the part since stepping on campus, fitting seamlessly into the offense and immediately stressing defensive backs with his size and speed. His acclimation has been one of the most encouraging developments of the spring.

Tight End Tug-of-War

Perhaps the most intriguing battle unfolding is at tight end. Dwayne Kasay, a two-time Mackey Award winner who returned for one more season to solidify his NFL stock, remains the standard at the position. But, he's being pushed - hard.

Second-year tight end Lionel Davenport has arrived at camp transformed. Stronger, quicker, and more assertive as a route runner, Davenport has been demanding targets and looks poised to siphon meaningful opportunities away from Kasay. Coaches have hinted that this could evolve into a true two-tight end offense if Davenport's rise continues.

Portal Movement Shapes the Roster

Spring camp hasn't been without departures. SMU has seen several notable players enter the transfer portal late, headlined by wide receiver Santago Silvestro, an early-season star who totaled nine touchdowns and once carried a multi-game scoring streak. His exit thins the depth chat, but opens opportunities to younger receivers.

Also departing is running back John Byard, remembered fondly for his standout performance against Pittsburgh in the Rose Bowl, and offensive tackle Mohammed Iwuoma, who missed significant time last season with a torn pectoral and appeared to fall behind in the competition up front.

Spring camp has reinforced one thing: SMU isn't standing still. With a Heisman-winning quarterback, a reshaped offensive identity, and fierce competition across the roster, the Mustangs are once again leaning into internal battles as a fuel for sustained success.

The pieces are there. The question now isn't whether SMU is talented enough - but which players seize the moment before fall arrives.

[Soapy]

Tight End Tug-of-War

[Captain Canada]

Tight End Tug-of-War

Horny ass.

[Captain Canada]

College Football's Map is Redrawn Again: SMU, Clemson, and Florida State Set to Join the SEC in 2031
By ESPN Staff Writer

College football's long-simmering realignment era hit another seismic moment on Tuesday, as SMU, Clemson, and Florida State officially accepted invitations to join the SEC beginning in the 2031 season, a move triggered by the resolution of Florida State's landmark lawsuit against the ACC and years of structural instability within the conference.

What once felt inevitable has finally become reality. The ACC, already wobbling, is now facing an existential reckoning.

Florida State's legal battle with the ACC - centered on grant-of-rights obligations and media revenue disparities - finally cleared its final hurdles this spring. The ruling effectively loosened the ACC's grip on its top brands, opening the door for departures that conference leadership had spent years trying to prevent.

Once Florida State found a way out, Clemson was never far behind. And once the SEC had those two on the table, SMU emerged as the third, and perhaps most fascinating, addition.

The SEC has quietly pursued Clemson and Florida State for more than a decade. Both programs deliver national championships, massive television audiences, and recruiting footprints that already overlap heavily with SEC territory. From a competitive and financial standpoint, their inclusion was always a matter of when, not if.

SMU, however, represents something different.

The Mustangs' meteoric rise - highlighted by a national championship, sustained playoff success, and unprecedented revenue growth - has transformed the program from a regional curiosity into a financial and competitive asset. SMU brings a major media market in Dallas-Fort Worth, one of the wealthiest booster collectives in college athletics, and a program already operating at an SEC-level budget.

From the SEC's perspective, SMU isn't a gamble - its an expansion into a booming market with a program that has already proven it can keep pace.

Logistically, the move makes sense in ways previous realignment waves often didn't.

Florida State and Clemson slide naturally into the SEC's eastern footprint, reviving historic rivalries and cutting down the travel compared to ACC coast-to-coast schedules. SMU joins a league already deeply embedded in Texas, restoring annual matchups with Texas, Texas A&M, Arkansas, and LSU - all of which are short flights or bus trips.

The SEC is expected to rebalance into four regional pods, reducing weekly travel strain and protecting traditional rivalries. From a scheduling, travel, and television perspective, this is one of the cleanest realignment moves of the modern era.

The ripple effects are immediate and brutal.

With Florida State and Clemson gone - and Miami now headed to the Big Ten - the ACC is hemorrhaging brand power. In a big to stabilize membership numbers, the conference has moved to add UMass and Toledo from the MAC, a decision viewed by many administrators as a stopgap rather than a solution.

Privately, ACC officials concede the league is now fighting for relevance rather than dominance.

The chaos doesn't stop there.

In a surprising west-coast twist, UCLA is set to leave the Big Ten and return to the reconstituted Pac-12, signaling a partial retreat from the mega-conference model for programs squeezed by geography and travel fatigue. That move underscores a growing realization across college athletics: not every realignment decision of the past decade was sustainable.

By 2031, the SEC will stand alone as the sport's deepest and most powerful conference - not just in tradition, but in revenue, recruiting, and competitive density. Adding Clemson and Florida State reinforces its dominance. Adding SMU future-proofs it.

Meanwhile, the ACC's unraveling serves as a cautionary tale about uneven revenue sharing, delayed reform, and the cost of standing still while the sport accelerates.

College football has entered a new phase - one defined not just by super conferences, but by programs that can financially, competitively, and logistically justify their place at the table.

In that world, the SEC didn't just get bigger.

It got stronger.

[Agent]

SEC Bound

[redsox907]

shoulda let them go to the SEC and keep dogwalking the ACC for the bye

[djp73]

SEC bound

[Soapy]

big boy pants

[Caesar]

Wonder how much SMU had to beg for that like they did to get the ACC invite.

[Captain Canada]

SEC Bound

shoulda let them go to the SEC and keep dogwalking the ACC for the bye

To be the best, we gotta beat the best

SEC bound

big boy pants

Wonder how much SMU had to beg for that like they did to get the ACC invite.

Alabama wanted that get back, we showed up like