In the NIL age of college football recruiting, it’s common for fans and analysts to think that all that matters to high school athletes is a dollar sign.
While yes, money plays into the equation for young stars now more than ever, it’s still the people who play the biggest role in their decisions, and that was the case for wide receiver Ty Crethers, who flipped his commitment from Texas State to SMU this weekend.
Ty Crethers Breaks Down His Decision to Flip from Texas State to SMU
2026 wide receiver, Ty Crethers, isn’t a top recruit in the country. He doesn’t even have any star rating, but he did just flip his commitment from Texas State to SMU, something that he attributes to the Mustangs’ coaching staff.
They say patience is a virtue. I say it’s a weapon. ⚔️ #SMU #committed #hometownhero
Some chase dreams across the country. I found mine in my own backyard. #SMU #welcomehome #hometownhero #ponyup🐎🔵🔴 pic.twitter.com/CnJVyP5csw
— Ty Crethers⚡️ (@CrethersTy) June 22, 2025
In an interview with On3’s Billy Embody, Crethers broke down how Mustangs’ head coach Rhett Lashlee influenced his decision.
“He’s very encouraging. He tells you what to do and go do it, and after he gives a command, just gotta do it,” Crethers told Embody. “It’s like family up here. Everybody treats everybody like family. I love to see it. Me being from Dallas, I just love to see the community I grew up around and also can be a part of at the next level, it’d be a great community to be a part of.”
Despite Crethers having zero stars, according to Embody, Lashlee was impressed by what he saw from the young wide receiver at a SMU recruiting camp earlier this summer.
Crethers missed his junior season of high school due to transfer rules, but with a strong performance at the Mustangs camp earlier this summer, Lashlee decided to offer him and then host him for an official visit last weekend, leading to his commitment flip.
If Lashlee is right about Crethers’ talent level, then there’s no doubt that with a strong senior season at Garland High School, the Texas native will blow up and receive offers from some of the best programs in the country.
With college football recruiting being so tumultuous and volatile in today’s day in age, Crethers’ story is a great one that shows the impact that coaching staffs can have on young athletes regardless of a paycheck.
