Courtland Sutton stayed with SMU first during a coaching change, and again when he could have been an NFL Draft selection. With a degree on the horizon, “the best receiver in college football” looks to take the Mustangs to an American Athletic Conference championship.
by Dick Weiss
Courtland Sutton had his future mapped out for him at the end of last season.
SMU’s 6-4, 218-pound redshirt junior wide receiver was coming off a first team all-conference season in which he caught 78 passes for 1,246 yards and 10 touchdowns and blew by the Mustangs’ school record for single game receiving yards with 252 yards and a career-high 13 receptions against USF.
In the minds of many NFL scouts, Sutton had a bigger upside than Corey Davis of Western Michigan, Mike Williams of Clemson and John Ross of Washington -- who were all taken in the top 10 of the 2017 NFL Draft. He could have joined them as a likely late first round or mid-second round pick. But he took a pass to return to school for another season because he wants to win an American Athletic Conference championship before he graduates with a degree in sports management in December.
“There were a lot more pros to coming back instead of just leaving,” Sutton said. “If I had left, there was the money, of course, and getting to play in the NFL and enjoying that lifestyle.
“But, to be able to get my degree at SMU now and not have to worry about coming back to school once my football career is over is a blessing. My mom and my dad know that no one can ever take that from you. The air in the football is going to come out some day and you need something to fall back on. I use the analogy of running a marathon. If I got to the last mile and walked away, people would say, ‘You’re crazy.’ So, three or four months out, why would I say I don’t want to finish.
“So, to be able to come back, play for the best teams SMU had here in a long time and walk on the stage in December and see my mom smile, that’s a huge milestone. Plus, I truly see us being a conference contender and playing in a big bowl game this year. I want to help put SMU back on the map.”
SMU is on the cusp of a breakthrough in The American in this, Chad Morris’ third season as head coach. The Mustangs have nine offensive starters back from a 5-7 team that is loaded with experience. SMU got its first win over a ranked team since 2011 last year when they defeated then 11th-ranked Houston, 38-16, and the Mustangs have a sophomore quarterback, Ben Hicks, who was thrust into the starting lineup as a freshman and passed for 2,930 yards.
For his part, Sutton was tabbed as “the best receiver in college football” by USA Today earlier in July and could end up as the first receiver chosen in the 2018 draft if he chooses to turn professional after the season.
Sutton is the best of Morris’ star pupils, following in the footsteps of DeAndre Hopkins, Martavis Bryant, Sammy Watkins and Mike Williams, who became highly skilled NFL prospects when Morris was an innovative offensive coordinator for Clemson. “It gives him the status,” Sutton says of his coach, “to say, ‘I’ve seen the great ones work at practice. I’ve seen what they saw and what you need to do to be successful.’”
Sutton grew up as a huge Dallas Cowboys fan, watching a lot of star wideouts Terrell Owens and Dez Bryant. He signed at SMU as an all-sport star from the small town of Brenham in East Texas with a population of just over 15,000. It is known as the home of Blinn College — where Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton played his junior college ball — and Blue Bell ice cream.
“Growing up in Brenham was definitely a loving experience,” Sutton said. “My aunts live close. My uncles live close. And it was a real family vibe. Everybody knows how big high school football is in Texas. And growing up in a small town made high school football huge. I loved it. I know if I ever have kids, I want to take my son to a small town. Because I think that’s what made me who I am. In a country place, I would go work on a farm with my dad and my grandpa almost every weekend. Fish, fix fences, move cattle. It made me understand that hard work is rewarded with success.”
Sutton was a first team all-district selection as a tight end and safety for the Brenham Cubs, where he was also a basketball star. He chose SMU over Colorado, BYU and Rice among others.
Sutton was recruited as a safety by former coach June Jones but his offensive talents on the football field were undeniable. Sutton was the only true freshman to see the field for the Mustangs in 2014, but he lasted just two games before suffering a season ending injury. Once healthy, he came back to have an impact redshirt freshman season in 2015 with 49 catches for 862 yards and nine touchdowns. He also played three games for Larry Brown’s nationally ranked basketball team that year before giving up the sport. “The coaches tell me I would have played,” he said. “But I see football as my doorway.”
It should come as no surprise that Sutton’s breakout season in football came immediately after the school hired Morris, a Texas high school coaching legend who had back-to-back undefeated state championships at Lake Travis in 2008 and 2009 before going on to college.
“When he came, we all had a chance to leave,” Sutton said. “But I believed in what Coach Morris was preaching and the coaches he was bringing in. To this day, I knew I made the right decision. It’s a family here. Coach Morris has brought that high school vibe to the college level. I feel I can go up to the coaches’ offices any day and watch film.”
Sutton has grown into a game-changing offensive weapon who is known for his great hands, explosiveness, leaping ability and ability to make acrobatic catches. He forced 13 missed tackles after receptions last season. “When some people look at me, they said, ‘Well here’s a slow guy who is probably going to try to run me over.’ I always try to incorporate news things in my game. We have a lot of short, shifty guys on our team. They watch me, but I try to take things from them. Coach Morris always preaches, catch-and stiff-arm in practice. And now the first thing I do in games is stick my arm out.”
Morris doesn’t need a crystal ball to see Sutton’s future.
“This guy has all the intangibles, all the measurables, to be a Mike Williams, a top-15 pick,” Morris said. “He understands he’s got to get bigger, got to get stronger, he’s got to work on his route-running and defensive recognition. But he is a mismatch nightmare for cornerbacks.”
Morris admits he was concerned Sutton might leave early for the 2017 NFL Draft until and he and his staff convinced him he could be a lock first round pick this year. Should Sutton declare for the 2018 draft, he would do so armed with a sports management degree from SMU and likely with another season of highlights to add to his reel.
“He’s as good as anybody I’ve coached,” said Morris. “He’s a game changer.”