Inside SMU's 2009 Recruiting Class

QUICK LINK: Jump straight to the list of signees

INSTANT CONTRIBUTORS: SMU has needs in so many areas that it's difficult to predict exactly who could immediately pay dividends, but odds are Navarro CC DB Ryan Clark will play immediately; the Mustangs' defense gave up 3,047 yards and 33 TDs (with just 8 INTs) through the air last year, and Clark's valuable two-year stint at Navarro puts him head and shoulders above some of the other youngsters vying for starting positions. Actually, had Clark been able to academically qualify coming out of high school, he likely would've signed with a powerful BCS program instead of taking a two-year hiatus in Corsicana; even then, he was originally slated to move to Texas Tech this spring but didn't want to leave Navarro in January. ... Another JUCO product with a chance to see action right away would be Clark's teammate, Navarro CC DL Marquis Frazier -- the Ponies are graduating Serge Elizee and Patrick Handy, so a big body like Frazier (6-4, 280) will be vital in plugging up the defensive interior or rushing off the corner. Like Clark, Frazier also failed to qualify academically before heading to Navarro; but unlike Clark, he sat out the entire 2008 season with torn knee ligaments and now has three years of eligibility (instead of Clark's two) at SMU. ... Though coach June Jones already has a capable stable of WRs to pull from, expect Fort Bend Hightower WR Darius Johnson to challenge for playing time early on -- he has great upper-end speed and could be a dangerous weapon when paired with incumbent starters Aldrick Robinson and Emmanuel Sanders. He was heavily wooed by a number of other programs as the season came to a close, and SMU should thank its lucky stars it was able to hang onto him.