The SMU Mustangs have entered a new era during the NIL introduction and growth period in collegiate football, becoming much more aggressive.
The Mustangs are eager to keep big-name stars in the state of Texas at home as much of the top talent in the state has overlooked the program. Players from the state of Texas are opting to leave the state for other programs or better opportunities. For the Mustangs, four-star Houston native Tobi Haastrup has become a player the staff would love to keep close to home.
SMU Mustangs Keeping Close Contact With Top Target Tobi Haastrup
In the new world of college football recruiting, there are plenty of factors that can take a recruit away from home now. More and more recruits are leaving their home state and attending different universities, regardless of the size or prestige of their home school. However, some programs such as the SMU Mustangs are aiming to keep their best homegrown talent inside the great state of Texas.
One such player the SMU Mustangs staff has loved thus far is four-star edge rusher Tobi Haastrup, a Houston native and accomplished defender. Haastrup is a 2025 edge rusher and currently holds plenty of scholarship offers, but has been in contact with a few programs in particular. The defender named the SMU Mustangs, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Boise State, and Illinois as some of the schools keeping close contact.
As the dynamic defender continues to look for schools, Haastrup stated he is looking for “a great developing team known for growing athletes.” Haastrup, a 6-foot-4-inch edge rusher, is a raw recruit who has excelled on the field but still has plenty to display on the field moving forward. The defender also stated, “Their skill set needs to align as well as their sports medicine program as that is my intended major.”
What Would Haastrup Offer the SMU Football Team on the Field?
To put it simply, Haastrup is a one-of-a-kind type of athlete and the best comparison to his abilities would be baseball player Mookie Betts. Haastrup is far more physical than Betts, with a 6-foot-4-inch frame and nearly 230 pounds of weight attached to his frame. Instead, the two share the same natural athletic ability that allows them to excel in anything athletic or competitive that they do.
Haastrup mentioned that he himself does not understand how he can do some of the physical things he can do on the football field. The edge rusher stated, “God has blessed me with great faith in Christ and intelligence, explosiveness, speed, and strength. I humbly believe there are only a handful of recruits who are able to say the same.”
The defender went on to also stated, “I am blessed to have run a 10.7 in the 100-meter. I am blessed to have benched 405-pounds. I am blessed to be 52 feet in shot put without any technique or real training. And I mean all of this in the most humble way possible.” While many would misconstrue what Haastrup stated as cockiness or outward confidence, the defender is simply stating the truth regarding his freakish physical abilities.
Haastrup is a raw defender with both incredible strength and also a great developing knowledge of the sport. As an edge or any type of rusher, it is important to have an array of moves in order to disrupt the quarterback or backfield in general. Haastrup not only has an advanced array of rushing moves but also a great feel for what moves are going to work against different types of offenses.
Haastrup is a raw, yet savvy defender who is learning on the football field as quickly as he is growing off of the field.
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