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Virginia LB Markel Dabney commits to SMU: 'They checked all the boxes for me'

On3 imageby:Billy Embody•05/13/25•

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Markel Dabney. (Twitter)

Richmond (Va.) Huguenot linebacker Markel Dabney has committed to SMU, he announced Tuesday. He’s the first linebacker for co-defensive coordinator Maurice Crum in the 2026 class. The SMU staff has won a lot of ball games lately and that stood out to him.

“Just all the coaching staff. I talked about the players, but the coaching staff is amazing, too,” Dabney told On3. “All of them got a bond with each other. They’re really tight, and that coaching staff is really tight, and I think that’s why they’re really winning games. They make it fun in the facility. They’re not uptight, mad, or none of that. They bring the energy. They make it fun in the facility. When you have fun, you play better, coach better, etc.” 

On3 ranks him as the No. 49 overall linebacker in the country and No. 15 overall prospect in Virginia. Dabney keeps SMU’s ascent into the Top 25 recruiting classes going.

Crum plans to get Dabney into the program and put him to work so that he can be ready for Year 2.

“They said when we was going over that they said when I come in Year 1, I got a chance to earn a starting spot, but they said for sure that second year I have to be ready because I will be playing the second year for sure,” he said. “They just said if I come I just got to work hard, get in my playbook, study film, and be ready to play. They didn’t bring me in to just sit or to watch. They’re bringing me in as a playmaker and to make plays for their for their defense.”

The Mustangs knocked the official visit out of the park, rising to the top of his list, he reported after the visit. That buzz held and allowed the Mustangs to beat out Michigan, Pitt, Virginia Tech and others.

“It was amazing. I can’t even sit right here and lie,” Dabney told On3. “The visit was amazing. It was 10 out of 10. Dallas is a great place to play at, to be honest. They checked all the boxes for me. I know my parents would love it down there. The official visit was amazing.”

Dabney spent plenty of time around the SMU players and that helped the Mustangs even more.

“I think that for me, it was mostly being around the players,” Dabney said. “The coaches were with the parents the most, but for me, it was me being around the players, them talking about — the players are going to keep it real — them talking highly about the coaches and basically saying they act the same way as if they were recruiting. The coaches are not two-faced and things like that. Being around the players, it felt like my big brothers and I’ve only known them for two days. It was a really great vibe this weekend.”

Crum really stood out with his presentation to him and his family as well.

“He’s an amazing coach,” Dabney said. “He showed me how he developed his players, and he showed the PFF grades of when he wasn’t coaching his linebackers to when he was coaching the linebackers. It shows he is developing the guys, telling them the right stuff, and he’s just overall a great person. When football is off, he’s still a great person on and off the field, is all I can say.”

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