Courtland Sutton leads list of SMU Mustangs in the NFL to watch in 2025

The mornings are starting to feel a little crisper, your fantasy football drafts are scheduled, and it’s time to dust off the crock pot — football season is back, folks! College football has officially kicked off and the NFL is just around the corner and we’ve got some SMU players in the NFL for you to watch in the 2025 season.

Some Pony alums in the big leagues have familiar names and are the type to likely go in the first rounds of your fantasy draft, while others might be good sleeper picks to grab in your later rounds.

Here’s the Mustangs for you to keep an eye out for…

Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos

It’s no secret Courtland Sutton is the top SMU player in the NFL. After receiving 25% target share last season, it’s also no secret he will be the main target for QB Bo Nix this season, too. Sutton enters his eighth NFL season after a record year finishing 17^th or better among WRs in snaps, routes, targets, catches, TDs and fantasy points.

Sutton ranked top 3 in both air yards and end zone targets. He’s also now finished in the top 10 in end zone targets three seasons in a row. If Sutton lands on your fantasy roster within the first two rounds you’d be lucky to have him.

Rashee Rice, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

Rice would be a go-to target for your fantasy draft (averaging 19.5 PPG in fantasy) but after a looming suspension has finally been initiated, he’s set to miss the first 6 games of the 2025 season. Still, Rice isn’t one to sleep on when it comes to the upcoming season. Last season he lit up the field in the first three weeks with a massive 36% target share (10.7 per game) and averaged 21.6 PPG (17-plus in all three).

Unfortunately, the hype would be short lived, as Rice tore his LCL in Week 3. Rice will be healthy to start the season and should be the WR1 choice for the Chiefs once he’s done with his suspension. However, he will have some serious competition in WR Xavier Worthy. Once the back can find his groove, he will be a top SMU player in the NFL to watch for.

Brashard Smith, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

One of two mustangs drafted in the 2025 Draft, Smith looks to hit the ground running for the reigning AFC Champs, joining fellow Pony, Rice. After setting the SMU single-season all-purpose yards record at 1,977 with 18 touchdowns (second most in the ACC, fourth in FBS), he should be able to do exactly that.

Here’s just a few more quick stats to get your engine revved on Smith heading into the season:

• Only Ashton Jeanty, Cam Skattebo and Omarion Hampton recorded more all purpose yards than Smith last season.
• Smith was one of just eight players in the FBS to average more than 140 all-purpose yards-per-game in 2024.
• Smith was the only player in the FBS last year to record at least 1,300 rushing yards, 300 receiving yards and 300 kick-return yards.
• Smith ran the third fastest 40-yard dash (4.39) at the NFL Scouting Combine. He only trailed Bhayshul Tuten and Jaydon Blue among all running backs at the event.

Take a peak at his combine run below.

MORE SPEEEEEED‼️ pic.twitter.com/vWAQbuork0

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) April 26, 2025

In Smith’s first press conference, the back said these skills are what he plans to bring to Kansas City.

“I feel like my skill set fits perfectly with the offense. They’re already dynamic,” Smith said. “I’m a dynamic player also, so I feel like I’m going to bring a lot of juice to the offense and special teams.”

And don’t sleep on that comment on special teams. He averaged 24.4 yards-per-return on kickoff duties during his college career, which included a 98-yard touchdown in 2023.

Brandon Stephens, CB, New York Jets

The fifth-year veteran traded in his purple for green, now joining the Jets in free agency after spending the past four seasons amongst the Baltimore Ravens elite defensive squad. In 2024, Stephens tallied 17 starts, 70 tackles, 10 pass defenses and 1.5 sacks. The year prior, he contributed 2 interceptions and 11 pass defenses leading to the Ravens D to become the first in NFL history to lead the league in scoring, sacks and takeaways.

It’s that exact kind of power plays the Jets are looking to get from Stephens now. HC Aaron Glenn notes the veteran can successfully “deny the ball” but must “work on creating turnovers” per Jets.com.

“We speak in the DB room about turning the ball over and getting hands on the ball,” Stephens said. “I think that’s been a main focus for me. But as a unit as well, we know we can change the game with turnovers and just making plays on the ball.”

Kelvin Beachum, LT, Arizona Cardinals

Beachum enters the list of SMU players in the NFL as the second-most seasoned veteran in the league by far with 13 seasons under his belt. During his five season with the Cardinals, Beachum has started 62-of-75 games (61 regular season; 1 postseason).

Last season was a record year for the Cardinals line, as Beachum helped block for the Cardinals offense to run for 2,451 yards and 18 TDs on 463 carries (5.3 avg.), the third-most rushing yards and the highest rushing average in team history. The offense line also allowed just 30 sacks, the fifth-fewest in the NFL in 2024. Beachum was the only offensive player to start all 17 games for the Cardinals in 2022.

Beachum has started 161-of-179 games playing for multiple teams including the Steelers (2012-15), Jaguars (2016), Jets (2017-19) and Cardinals (2020-24) during his NFL career.

Grant Calcaterra, TE, Philadelphia Eagles

A member of Philadelphia’s Super Bowl LIX-winning roster in 2024, Calcaterra saw an increased role in 2024. The TE tallied 24 receptions for 298 yards and 1 TD in a career high 766 offensive snaps across 17 games (13 starts). His first career touchdown came last season against the Carolina Panthers for a four-yard reception. He also totaled a career high five catches for 30 yards vs the Jacksonville Jaguars last season. He tallied a career high 67 yards on 4 receptions in the Eagles win over the Cleveland Browns.  

Fun fact: Calcaterra previously played with QB Jalen Hurts on the Oklahoma Sooners during the 2019 season.

Elijah Roberts, DE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

A team captain for the Mustangs in 2024, Roberts was the first Pony picked up in the 2025 NFL draft. Last season Roberts tallied 35 tackles and 7.5 sacks for SMU. Roberts will join a Bucs defense in need of some help, but Roberts said in a Bucs press conference, he looks forward to the company he will be in line with.

“It’s good to know that I have a veteran like [Lavonte David] behind me,” Roberts stated. “He really knows how to orchestrate the defense.”

Down the stretch, Roberts is a SMU player in the NFL that should rack up some stats.

Evan Brown, G, Arizona Cardinals

Brown entered the NFL as a rookie free agent, and worked his way into creating a solid role for himself. In 2024 (his first season with the Cards), he started all 17 games, joining C Hjalte Froholdt and QB Kyler Murray as the only Cardinals offensive players to start every game in 2024. Like Beachum, Brown also contributed to the Arizona offense to tally the third-most rushing yards and the highest rushing average in team history.

As for Brown himself, he has allowed just 7.5 sacks in over 3,600 offensive snaps during his six-year NFL career. Brown has played in 74 games (57 starts) in the regular season with the Giants (2019), Dolphins (2019), Browns (2020), Lions (2020-22), Seahawks (2023) and Cardinals (2024).

Kylen Granson, TE, Philadelphia Eagles

Granson joins fellow mustang Calcaterra on the Eagles roster. The tight end has shown some face in the 2025 preseason with 4 receptions for 47 yards.

Granson joins the Eagles this season after playing for the Indianapolis Colts for his first four seasons. With the Colts, he saw action in 62 contests with 958 yards on 86 catches (11.1 avg.) with 1 TD. Granson has appeared in over 1,500 offensive snaps and seen action on special teams.

Charles Woods, CB, Los Angeles Rams

Woods narrowly joins the list after recently being released by the Los Angeles Rams and then now claimed by the New England Patriots off waivers. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the Rams last year, and then spent the majority of the season on the 53-man roster before finishing the year on the practice squad.

He played in 12 games and finished with 1 tackle on defense and 1 special teams tackle. He is one of 6 cornerbacks on New England’s roster though, so if he wants his spot to last, he’s going to have to prove himself.

Zach Wood, LS, New Orleans Saints

Sure, long snapper isn’t exactly a position to watch out for in fantasy means, but in terms of Mustangs in the bigs, Wood joins this list as the third longest Pony in the league behind Beachum with 9 seasons. Not only that, but Woods was selected as a team captain the past two seasons for the Saints.

Wood signed with the Saints prior to the 2017 season opener after spending the 2016 and 2017 preseasons with the Dallas Cowboys and has since snapped for all punts and placekicks in all 132 regular season games and seven postseason contests for NOLA. His 132 appearances rank 26^th in club record books. He’s even tallied ten career special teams tackles. So long snapper or not, he joins this list as one of the most consistent and impressive SMU players in the NFL.

Thomas Morstead, P, San Francisco 49ers

Last, but certainly not least, (if anything MOST), comes Morstead to our list of SMU players in the NFL. Again… Punter, but hey — Not only is Morstead the most seasoned veteran on this list, entering his 16th season, he is reaching several career milestones due to his NFL longevity that most players, particularly a punter, never see.

Here’s a few:

• 255 Games Played
• 44,944 Yards
• 960 Punts

The punter is one of the oldest active players and will likely become the 10th punter to play in his 40s. Being in the league that long, you’d learn a thing or two. And for Morstead, he’s learned enough that he has become his own agent now. After spending 12 seasons with the Saints (many of which were shared with fellow Pony, Wood), the punter is considered one of the best punters to wear a New Orleans uniform and (probably) a player they shouldn’t have dropped after a consistent stream of punters in and out the door.

With a career average of 46.8 yards per punt and a significant number of kicks inside the 20-yard line, it’s no secret why Morstead’s career has continued after the Saints, having stints with the New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins and now the San Francisco 49ers.

Now, you may be thinking “hey, wait a minute – where’s so-and-so on this list?”... Well, I myself was also surprised to see quite a few SMU alums drop from league rosters days ago.

Here’s some guys you may have been looking for on this list that were recently dropped on waivers or cut…

Waived/Dropped SMU Players in the NFL

• Anthony Booker Jr (aka Tank Booker), DT, Las Vegas Raiders
• Brandon Crossley, CB, New England Patriots
• Roderick Daniels, WR, New Orleans Saints
• Moochie Dixon, WR, New Orleans Saints
• Danny Gray, WR, San Francisco 49ers
• Jared Harrison-Hunte, DE, Carolina Panthers
• Jafari Harvey, LDE, Las Vegas Raiders
• Justin Osborne, OC, Cleveland Browns
• James Proche, WR, Tennessee Titans
• Key’Shawn Smith, WR, Kansas City Chiefs