The SMU Mustangs are losing defensive coordinator Scott Symons, who is taking a leap to the NFL. However, head coach Rhett Lashlee might not have to cast a wide net, thanks to the presence of a budding defensive assistant.

Maurice Crum Jr., who is the Mustangs’ linebackers coach, is emerging as a top prospect to replace Symons as DC. He has more than a decade of collegiate coaching experience and has been with SMU since 2023. In 2024, he was named co-defensive coordinator for the team, which gives him an added advantage.

Crum Jr. had a short-lived pro career, playing for the now-defunct Sacramento Mountain Lions in the UFL. But before that, he made a name for himself as a player during his days at Notre Dame, where he was also captain.

This is a developing story.