SMU football delivered aggressive results on the college football recruiting trail Sunday. The Mustangs won over one four-star by beating in-state competitors Texas and Texas A&M. Now they've defeated Bill Belichick and North Carolina for a three-star talent.

This time Rhett Lashlee and his staff win over a talented cornerback. Braylon Edwards of Duncanville, Texas is the newest verbal commitment, making his decision less than an hour after wide receiver Aljour Miles committed. Hayes Fawcett of On3 revealed Auburn and Belichick's Tar Heels were in the final mix.

“New chapter soon to come, Pony Up,” Edwards shared to Fawcett after verbally committing.

Edwards brings solid size at 6-feet, 190-pounds to the College Football Playoff qualifier. SMU, in the process, edges its Atlantic Coast Conference rival UNC for Edwards' services.

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Southern Methodist Mustangs running back Brashard Smith (1) runs with the ball while trying to avoid a tackle during the fourth quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the first round of the College Football Playoff at Beaver Stadium.
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Edwards earned three-star status by multiple recruiting outlets. But he still reeled in 41 total offers before verbally choosing the ACC runner-up.

The eight-time Super Bowl winning head coach, meanwhile, is already delivering mixed recruiting results. Belichick flipped former four-star Texas A&M commit Trashawn Ruffin on St. Patrick's Day. But he and the Tar Heels lost out on landing twin brothers Aidan and Andrew Harris — who are ranked in the top 10 among in-state prospects. Belichick is also embroiled in a controversial CBS Sunday Morning interview, which now involves him seeking public relations help.

The Mustangs, meanwhile, have delivered more stout results in both recruiting and via the portal. Former UCLA leading rusher T.J. Harden chose SMU in the transfer portal on April 18. The move lines up the replacement for 1,000-yard rusher Brashard Smith.

SMU and Lashlee ignited the backfield even before the Harden addition. The Mustangs scored 2026 four-star Christian Rhodes on Feb. 6 from the Dallas region.

Edwards is now the eighth verbal pledge for the Mustangs' current class. But he's the first natural CB to choose SMU. Edwards is heading to the conference's top-ranked defense of the 2024 season.