COLUMN: SEMO — the school of opportunity 

Transferring is a part of life in college football because not all places, and players, are created equal.

Everyone who plays football or basketball at Southeast Missouri State does so because they are motivated by the opportunities that playing for the Redhawks presents them with.

As a member of the Ohio Valley Conference, SEMO is not at the bottom of the college sports ladder but it's certainly not at the top. Basketball players such as Eric Reed Jr. (2020-22) and Phillip Russell (2021-23) transferred to schools of higher profiles after proving themselves at SEMO because their goal is to play at the highest level possible.

On the flipside, SEMO is the destination for some players. The opportunity to find playing time at SEMO that was not available anywhere else draws Division I athletes as talented as Russell and Reed to Cape Girardeau in the first place.

Presently speaking, Teddy Washington Jr. has never been treated with the level of trust in running an offense that he has been during his first eight games at SEMO. The Redhawks’ 78-60 road loss at Lipscomb on Thursday was the first time this year the senior from Texas A&M Corpus Cristi took less than a dozen field goal attempts. The last time he shot less than eight 3-pointers in a game this year was the season opener at Bradley, where he went 0 for 5 from beyond the arc.

Washington is averaging 17 points per game and is at his very best when playing at the Show Me Center. In both games against DI competition (Chattanooga and Kansas City), he made 10 field goals for 28 and 25 points, respectively.

When asked after the win against Kansas City on Nov. 30 if he expected to be relied on this much, he responded by saying, “I’m home.”

“I’ve kind of been the focal point of most of the teams I played for, but this team here just lets me flourish in my role a little bit more,” Washington said. “I feel like the coaches trust me a little bit more with the ball in my hand, and that builds up confidence to play off the ball and or need to play hard on defense.”

The women’s basketball roster is also proof of SEMO being the school of opportunity. Kennedy Claybrooks spent two seasons at Texas State without starting a game. At SEMO, she has been an early fixture in the Redhawks starting lineup and is averaging 10.3 points per game through six games.

Lexi McCully has climbed the ladder from Mineral Area College, to DII (Georgia Southwestern) and back to her JUCO coach (Briley Palmer) at SEMO, where she is averaging 11.2 points per game, including an 18-point performance against Southern Illinois in the Redhawks’ home opener.

On the gridiron, wide receiver Tristan Smith and nose tackle Steven Lewis highlight a handful of Redhawks looking to leave the nest for a brighter future. In the case of Lewis, he already accomplished his mission as a student-athlete and graduated with a degree and more. With one year left of eligibility, it’s time for him to see if a team in the Power 4 deems him worthy of its interior line.

Smith, like many athletes who transferred to SEMO, arrived looking to take advantage of the opportunity of playing time in DI football and thrived with over 900 yards and the second-most receptions in the Big South-OVC. After one successful year in the FCS, it’s time for him to find a place within the FBS ranks.

Football and basketball rosters are replete with players who transferred to SEMO from lower-level four-year schools and junior colleges looking to make something of themselves in the FCS. Paxton DeLaurent came to Cape Girardeau after two years in the NAIA with Central Methodist and left with all the Redhawks' primary passing records.

Even Dallas Cowboys receiver Ryan Flournoy followed the trend. SEMO was his third school, having played in DII and JUCO before thriving as a Redhawk. He is the latest example of the possibility of a player capitalizing on the opportunity of playing at SEMO and reaching the next level.

The 2020s have been shaping up to be the best decade in SEMO history. The football team is winning multiple conference titles, the basketball team returned to the NCAA Tournament and the baseball team has established an OVC dynasty and took down No. 5 Arkansas at its own regional.

There are probably plenty of opportunities for SEMO to move up to the Missouri Valley Conference or make a move to the FBS, like Missouri State is trying, after the Houck Field upgrades are finally complete. However, SEMO is clearly comfortable in the OVC and seizing the opportunity to be the flagship program in the conference with enough victories.

"We need to be able to have a national program in our league so that we can have a national league," SEMO football coach Tom Matukewicz said.

While many talented players will leave for greener pastures through the transfer portal, many more will come to SEMO seeking the opportunity to play out their college dreams. That is SEMO’s place in the college landscape, and it’s a pretty good place.