SMU Football Sends Clear Message to SEC School with 2026 Commitment

Gilbert, a 6-foot playmaker ranked No. 53 among cornerbacks and No. 86 overall in Texas for the 2026 class (per On3), held offers from Auburn, Texas A&M, TCU, and Washington. But this was a two-horse race between SMU and Oklahoma—one the Mustangs weren’t supposed to win.

Yet under head coach Rhett Lashlee, SMU has evolved from an afterthought into a legitimate recruiting force. Now ranked inside the top 25 nationally for the 2026 cycle, the Mustangs are flipping the script in the Dallas-Fort Worth area—a region long dominated by SEC and former Big 12 blue bloods.

Gilbert’s choice is the kind of win that doesn’t just build a class—it builds a culture.

“They’ve been consistent from my sophomore year,” Gilbert said after his commitment. “They getting a dawg. I’m versatile, I can play anything they want me to play and I make plays. I can tackle, I can catch, I can do anything they want me to do.”

This isn’t just a feel-good story. It’s a signal to the rest of college football that SMU is no longer the little brother in Texas. The Mustangs’ 2026 class now includes multiple three-star athletes and is gaining attention from national analysts who once viewed SMU as a Power Four afterthought.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma is left to reassess. Once dominant in the DFW pipeline, the Sooners have now lost multiple regional battles to SMU. It’s a new era in Metroplex recruiting—and Ryan Gilbert might be its face.

If this is a glimpse into SMU’s future, then the Hilltop isn’t just rising—it’s erupting.