SMU star center back Slade Starnes has officially achieved what every DFW youth soccer player dreams of: signing a homegrown professional contract with FC Dallas. 

“My reaction was to call my family right away,” Starnes said. “We grew up as season ticket holders, so to get the official news that I was going to sign a first team contract with FC Dallas…..it was just celebrations. My mom was crying and a few other things. We’ve always loved FC Dallas, we’re from here, I grew up here.”

Starnes is a Dallas product through and through.

He was brought up in the FC Dallas academy, even being named captain of the U-19 team.

When asked if his younger self would believe that he would make it to the highest level of American soccer, there wasn’t a doubt in Starnes’ mind.

“Whenever I was a kid and they would ask me, ‘”Slade, what do you want to be when you grow up?’ I never said doctor, I never said astronaut, I said I want to be a professional soccer player,” Starnes said. “I felt that belief was unwavering. Over the last few years in college, in college you see guys go up and down, but I just felt an unwavering belief that this was the plan God had for me.”

Starnes spent three seasons developing his game at Furman University before returning home to join SMU, the only “Power 4” men’s soccer program in Texas.

While at SMU, Starnes won the ACC tournament MVP and was named Second Team All-American.

“To have my family at the games was the best,” Starnes said. “To give them big hugs and see them celebrate goals and sometimes eat after…there’s nothing that can beat that feeling.”

“For all the qualities he has of a soccer player, he’s a better person and a better leader,” SMU soccer head coach Kevin Hudson said. “It really comes down to the mentality. The competitive nature and drive of those players is different. They’re obsessed with winning, obsessed with getting better, and Slade is clearly one of those players.”

SMU is coming off one of its best seasons in program history, winning its first ACC championship. Starnes was a key piece on that team as the anchor of the back line. In his short time in Dallas, his coaches knew he was going to be a game-changer from the start.

“Within just six months, the guys and the staff believed that he’s the leader of the team,” Hudson said. “To play the way he did, and to be given the opportunity that he’s received… is fulfilling a dream for him.”  

Starnes joins a club renowned not only for investing in homegrown talent but for transforming those players into stars.

U.S. Men’s National Team players like Weston McKennie, Chris Richards, and even Starnes’ former teammate Ricardo Pepi are all FC Dallas academy products, and Starnes hopes to make his mark in his childhood club.

“I never want to stop chasing just representing the city well,” Starnes said. “Having my family come to more games…that’s honestly what drives me and just working as hard as I can.”

 “I wouldn’t bet against him,” Hudson said. “This kid has it all. It’s well beyond my paygrade to put a ceiling on him, but I would not be surprised to see him at the top.”

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Bigger wasn’t better for Texas

Before Arch Manning could release the deep ball, Florida defensive lineman Brien Taylor Jr. plowed over left guard Connor Stroh, latching onto Manning and slinging the Texas football quarterback to the ground with the ease of a large dog whipping around a favorite chew toy. 

This was Manning’s life during the first half of the Longhorns’ season, with a six-sack showing Oct. 4 by the Gators marking the low point for a beleaguered Texas offensive line. 

With its transfer portal movements — and roster-retention efforts — the Texas coaching staff has signaled its intent to avoid a similar outcome in 2026. 

The Longhorns started their offseason by retaining left tackle Trevor Goosby, who was considered one of the five best NFL prospects at his position by prominent ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. Then, they added Oregon State guard Dylan Sikorski, who solidified himself as a strong interior pass-blocker during his redshirt freshman season with the Beavers. 

Thursday, Texas landed a commitment from Wake Forest tackle Melvin Siani, one of the best pass-blockers in the nation last year. Just 10 other power conference tackles played 500 snaps or more and allowed 10 or fewer quarterback pressures. In seven of the 13 games he played, he did not give up a pressure, according to Pro Football Focus. 

The difference between the offensive line Texas fielded during that disastrous effort at Florida in 2025 and the one the Longhorns could run out in 2026 looks dramatic — at least according to the metrics. 

These are the five Texas linemen who played the majority of the snaps in that game, followed by the percentage of their 2025 pass-blocking snaps that resulted in a quarterback pressure against Manning: 

• Brandon Baker: 4.6% 

It’s unclear how exactly the Longhorns will align their offensive line to incorporate their additions — and more incoming transfers could be on the way. Moving right tackle Brandon Baker inside to guard to allow space for Siani is one solution that could make sense. If that scenario plays out, Texas could field an entire offensive line full of players who allowed pressures on less than 5% of their pass-blocking reps last season:

• Connor Robertson: 3.9%

Robertson’s introduction at center helped spark a midseason improvement for the Longhorns along the line, particularly in pass protection. In Manning’s first seven games, opposing defenses put him under pressure on 41.4% of his dropbacks. During his final six games, that pressure rate fell to 30.3%. 

Manning’s first seven games ended with him completing 60.3% of his passes, averaging 207 yards per game with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. In the second half of the season, when provided with a pass-protection unit that was merely average rather than disastrous, he posted a 62.3% completion percentage, averaging 286 passing yards with 14 TDs and two interceptions. 

The unit in front of Manning has the potential to play more than just average football in 2026. If the Longhorns can support their quarterback with strong play in the trenches, what version of Manning can they unlock?