Son of former Heisman Trophy winner commits to SMU amidst hot streak

The SMU Mustangs are running through the ACC in their first season in the conference.

Though the Mustangs were willing to not even take a share of television revenue to be welcomed into the conference, SMU has been running roughshod over everyone, on their way to a perfect 5-0 record in the conference with just three ACC games remaining.

It's not just on the field that Rhett Lashlee is tearing it up, though. SMU has the 25th overall class in the 247 Sports' Composite Team Rankings for 2025 and they are already setting their sights on the 2026 class.

Even though SMU has a commitment from 4-star QB Ty Hawkins in the 2025 cycle, the Mustangs have already received a commitment from yet another highly-regarded quarterback prospect in the 2026 class.

Quarterback Cole Leinart, son of USC legend Matt Leinart, has committed to play for SMU, adding to the excitement around the Mustangs’ recent success. Ranked as a 3-star prospect, Cole, who hails from Redondo Union High School in California, is regarded as the 81st quarterback in his class by 247Sports.

He chose SMU over other offers from Colorado, Arizona, and Utah, indicating his preference for the direction SMU is headed under Lashlee's leadership.

Leinart’s commitment comes shortly after SMU achieved a significant milestone, landing at No. 13 in the College Football Playoff rankings, marking a new chapter for the program. With Leinart joining the 2026 class alongside Victor Lincoln, a Lancaster cornerback who committed earlier this year, the future of SMU football appears promising.

Of course, the big question is how long the Mustangs will be able to keep Rhett Lashlee around. Lashlee has had proven success at Auburn in the past as an offensive coordinator, and he's now proven that he knows what it takes to build a program. It seems like only a matter of time before a bigger fish comes along, perhaps from the Big Ten or SEC, and swoops him up.

For now, though, SMU fans will continue to enjoy what very well could be setting up to be a magical season and one thing is for sure: Recruits are taking notice.

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