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Matt Davis surprised SMU fans with his announcement that he will enter this year’s NFL Draft. It was widely believed that Davis would seek a sixth year of eligibility after suffering a torn ACL last season.
Davis’ entry into the draft adds another player to a weak QB class, and his ability to scramble with the ball may be something teams will look for on Day Three of the draft.
Where does SMU go from here?
His departure leaves a hole under center, but sophomore Ben Hicks is clearly in the driver’s seat to be named the starter before spring ball. Hicks is a three-star recruit out of Waco who showed tremendous growth over the span of his freshman season in Dallas.
His ability to stand in the pocket and make throws will be a major benefit to the offense this year, as he can expect a lot of deep play-action passes due to the three-headed monster the Mustangs have at running back.
Who’s fighting for #2?
Behind him the future looks very bright at the QB position. D.J. Gillins is an electrifying talent and a former four star dual threat recruit. He is coming off surgery to repair a torn ACL, but he is definitely one of the top contenders for the backup position.
Also fighting for that position is Arkansas transfer Rafe Peavy. The redshirt junior had to sit out last year due to NCAA transfer rules but Peavy may get the nod before Gillins if an injury were to happen to Ben Hicks.
For a school looking to rebuild its football program it’s never bad to have a handful of former four star recruits on the team.
The future looks bright
The Mustangs also have two freshman QBs that can make an impact on the team in the future. The best case scenario is that neither Collin Rock or Austin Upshaw see the field before the 2017 season, but both have the talent to make an impact on the team once they have the playbook and the speed of the game absorbed.
Matt Davis’ departure may sting at first but Chad Morris and Co. have done a great job recruiting at the most important position in sports, so Mustang fans shouldn’t be too worried about how well SMU slings the ball around this season.