Only 43 schools have any recruits, 15 have 1, and 11 have 2. So 43-26= 17 putting SMU just barely in the top half... If you rank by average rating (versus points which makes larger classes ranked high on 247) they are 17th.
"As well as receiving a huge donation from boosters since news broke that they'll be joining the ACC, SMU has also seen an influx of recruiting success as they currently hold the No. 8 class in the country for 2025."
I think this SI writer is pushing a bit of a narrative.