Good News: Son of A 5-star College Football Legend Committed to Longhorns

Since the children of former superstars they grew up watching rose to prominence, many college football fans have started to feel old when they watch the sport.

While Arch, the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, will be the face of the Texas Longhorns next season, Deion Sanders’ boys are both shining at Colorado. Those who already feel old will feel much older on Wednesday as Cole Leinart, Matt Leinart’s son, made a statement.

SMU is the school to which the three-star recruit from Newport Beach, California, in the class of 2026 has committed.

Arkansas, Utah, UNLV, Colorado, and Arizona were among the programs Leinart passed over in favor of the SMU Mustangs. Although his father’s alma mater was mentioned by On3 as one of the programs interested in Leinart, the program has not yet extended an offer to him.

Although Leinart has not yet been ranked by On3 or ESPN, 247Sports presently has him listed as the 81st quarterback in the nation and the 158th player in California.

Many people consider his father, a member of two national championship teams and the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner, to be among the greatest college football quarterbacks of all time. The older Leinart is currently a TikTok star in addition to being an analyst for Fox Sports.

He took to X to cheer on his son, who will now be his new favorite college team, and to show how pleased he is of him.

“Goodbye, buddy,” Leinart wrote. I’m proud of you. And this is only the start! “#ponyup.”

The younger Leinart has the opportunity to join a program at SMU that has jumped right in during its ACC transition. In the initial College Football Playoff rankings, the Mustangs came in at number 13, putting them in a strong position to compete for the conference championship.

Who is Cole Leinart?

Cole Leinart, the son of former USC quarterback Matt Leinart, declared his intention to attend college. Cole, a member of the class of 2026, announced on social media that he will be playing for SMU.

According to 247Sports, Leinart, a high school football player from Redondo Union High School in Redondo Beach, California, is a three-star quarterback prospect. The website also mentions that in addition to the Mustangs, he had offers from Colorado, Georgia State, Pittsburgh, and UNLV.

Naturally, his father won two national titles with the Trojans and was the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner. He played for the Oakland Raiders, Houston Texans, and Arizona Cardinals during his six-year NFL career.

Following the announcement of the commitment, Matt posted a congrats message on social media for Cole.