Class of 2026 three-star athlete Markel Dabney plans to make the trek from Richmond, Virginia down to Dallas, Texas to play his college football, as the Huguenot High School standout committed to Southern Methodist University on Tuesday.
Dabney ranks as the No. 18 prospect in the state of Virginia.
He has pledged to head coach Rhett Lashlee, defensive coordinator/safeties coach Scott Symons, linebackers coach/co-defensive coordinator Maurice Crum Jr. and the rest of SMU's staff.
Dabney is coming off of an official visit with the Mustangs during the weekend of May 2 through May 4.
"I feel like it’s the best fit for me as of right now," Dabney told Rivals.com about his commitment to SMU. "The culture in the facility (stands out). Everybody in that building loves being around each other and that’s something almost everybody wants to be a part of!"
While listed as an athlete, Dabney projects as a linebacker/nickel back hybrid player once he gets on campus in Dallas.
Dabney has built a good connection with Lashlee and sees him as a head coach he wants to play for. He has built the strongest bond with Crum, his future position coach.
"Coach Lashlee and I's relationship, along with the rest of the coaching staff, is great," Dabney said. "Me and Coach Crum's relationship is very tight. He’s the one I would say I’m closet with!"
As mentioned, Dabney most recently visited SMU for his official visit earlier this month. In addition to spending time with the coaches, Dabney was able to connect with the players and truly learn what life is like as a Mustang. One player Dabney connected with while on campus was sophomore linebacker Brandon Booker, whom he hit it off well with.
"My last visit to SMU was May 2 (for an official visit), "Dabney explained. "Just hanging around with some of the players (stood out about the trip) — they truly made it a special visit. Shout out to Brandon Booker!"
In addition to SMU, Dabney previously had official visits scheduled to Michigan, Penn State and Pittsburgh. Dabney tells Rivals.com that those official visits are "up in the air as of right now."
In addition to the schools noted above, Dabney received scholarship offers from Arizona, Boston College, Duke, Florida State, Maryland, Miami (FL.), Mississippi, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Virginia Tech and West Virginia, among others.
He helped lead the Falcons to an 11-1 record and playoff appearance in 2024. Dabney recorded 74 tackles (35 solo), four sacks, five pass break-ups, four forced fumbles and two pick-sixes as a junior. He also tallied 45 receptions for 1,000 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns on offense as a wide receiver.
As mentioned, the 6-foot-1, 213-pound Dabney plans to play on the defensive side of the ball. He will primarily play as a linebacker, but can also play in the slot in the secondary as well.
"SMU is recruiting me to play hybrid linebacker and nickel back," Dabney noted. "I would describe my game as a pure playmaker with tons of athleticism."
With Dabney's commitment, SMU now has 11 pledges in its 2026 class as of press time. The Mustangs rank 18th nationally.
