SMU Mustangs Land Their 4th Four-Star in 4 Days

July has been a magnificent month for coach Rhett Lashlee and the SMU Mustangs football team. In a whirlwind span of four days, the Mustangs have secured commitments from a quartet of four-star players—linebacker Mark Iheanachor (July 1), EDGE Chinedu Onyeagoro (July 1), quarterback Ty Hawkins (July 3) and offensive lineman Dramodd Odums (July 4).

The Independence Day commitment of Odums vaults the ranking of the Ponies' 2025 recruiting class up to No. 24 in the nation according to On3 and No. 4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, behind only Clemson, Florida State and Miami.

Rated by 247Sports as the No. 7 offensive tackle in the 2025 cycle and the No. 56 overall player in the country, Odums, who hails from Houston, chose SMU after receiving offers from Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee and numerous other top-flight programs.

Odoms' Background

Described by 247Sports as a "[t]all, long, relatively lean tackle prospect with left-side experience," Odoms is 6-foot-6 and weighs 295 pounds. His physicality and athleticism render him well-suited to become a permanent fixture on the left end of his team's offensive line. He has an impressive frame and will likely add even more bulk in the next couple of years.

At the prep level, he frequently dominates opponents. He is surprisingly nimble, displaying elite lateral movement. Scouts have been uniformly impressed with his pass protection and run blocking, describing him as a "dangerous assailant" when looking for defenders to target in the running game. In pass protection, he has the agility to stay with edge rushers and keep them at bay. His athleticism has been on display in 7-on-7 drills in which he excels at the linebacker position. He projects as a high-ceiling, multi-year Power Four starter, likely destined for the NFL.

As a sophomore, he was named first-team all-district in Texas' 6A division. Then, as a junior, he was a leader on his Houston team which went 12-1 and reached the third round of its division playoffs.

SMU Mustangs: Pony Express Rising

The Mustangs football program has endured decades in the wilderness since receiving the NCAA death penalty in the late 1980s. The football program that produced Hall of Famers Doak Walker and Eric Dickerson and that dominated the former Southwestern Conference is entering the Power Four after years of ostracism. Commitments like the Mustangs have received in the first few days of July mark the return of one of college football's historic programs.

Stay tuned to College Football Dawgs for continued reporting on the SMU Mustangs and college football recruiting.