Jaylinn Mitchell had every reason to begin his professional career this summer.

A first-round pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft, Mitchell could already be suiting up for Minnesota United FC. Instead, the senior midfielder made a different choice — returning to SMU to finish his degree and chase the one championship that still eludes the Mustangs.

"Obviously, I ended up choosing to come back to SMU. I thought it just made more sense for me," Mitchell said. "I would be a first-generation college graduate, so I wanted to do that for me and my family. I'm the oldest of four siblings, so I just want to show them that you can do it and go to college. I was already so close to finishing (my degree) that it just made the most sense to come back, play another year here, hopefully win some more trophies, win as a team, and then go off next year."

Mitchell has helped SMU capture two conference championships during his career — the 2023 American Athletic Conference regular-season title and last season's ACC tournament championship — while appearing in 60 games with 38 career starts and totaling more than 3,300 career minutes.

For Mitchell, returning wasn't simply about earning a diploma. It was also about chasing the program's first NCAA championship.

"What matters are the trophies here," Mitchell said. "This is what stays in the locker room forever. You get to come back and see, 'Hey, men's soccer regular champion 2023.' I was happy to be a part of that. We won the ACC last year, but we want to win the national tournament. That'll be like making history here at SMU."

Now Mitchell is trying to make more history and leave an even bigger legacy at a school that wasn't even on his radar coming out of La Mirada High School. In fact, he didn't even expect to leave California.

"When SMU reached out, I didn't even know what SMU was, to be honest," Mitchell said. "And then I started doing some research, and it's a great institution that's great academically, and obviously, we've been like we compete at a very high level athletically."

While Mitchell didn't have a lot of time to make his decision after the draft, he did have an idea it was coming. 

Mitchell entered the draft with momentum after being invited to the MLS College Showcase, where he met with 13 teams. He was also ranked the fifth-best draft-eligible winger by MLS.com's Travis Clark, adding to the confidence he would be selected.

"After the combine, I left feeling pretty good," Mitchell said. "I had high expectations, and I was pretty confident, but you never know."

It was still a special moment when he was officially drafted.

"You're just waiting for your name to be called," Mitchell said. "And obviously, when my name got called, it was super exciting, and my family and friends were there, so it was just a really cool moment."

Mitchell wasn't the only Mustang facing a professional decision. Third-round pick Charles-Emile Brunet signed with Nashville SC, while Mitchell chose one more year at SMU.

The two MLS Showcase roommates discussed their options, but ultimately each one chose the path that made the most sense for them.

"We were roommates at the combine, so a lot of conversations were had," Mitchell said. "Obviously, he chose to go to Nashville, and he's doing great out there, which is really nice to see. We're all rooting for him. It just made more sense for me to come back and for him to go, but it worked out great for him. That's what you want to see."

As for Mitchell's future, he is still headed to Minnesota. MNUFC maintains his rights for the two years following the draft. While it is reassuring to know he has a spot in training camp next year, he can't relax.

"I guess in my situation, it's almost like a peace of mind that I have somewhere to go after the season," Mitchell said. "It's a big blessing because I know that I'll go to Minnesota, but that doesn't mean now I can just have a horrible season. They're still watching. They want to see you do better."

Mitchell was SMU's first first-round pick since Nicky Hernandez in 2021 and 13th ever. During his time at SMU, Mitchell has seen five teammates move on to the MLS.

He shared the field with MLS SuperDraft picks Mads Westergren, Nikola Djordjevic, Cesar Ruvalcaba, Bailey Sparks and Brunet — along with Slade Starnes, who signed with FC Dallas on a homegrown contract. 

Seeing their work firsthand has given Mitchell added motivation to make the most of his own opportunity.

"Sharing the locker room with them, you get to see their habits and now those guys are playing professional soccer," Mitchell said. "It's not luck or anything. I get to see their habits here in the locker room and how they take care of their bodies. It's like extra motivation to see them doing well because, at one point, we were all playing together."

With his professional future waiting after the season, Mitchell's focus remains on helping SMU contend for a national championship. He co-led the Mustangs with six assists last season and believes his responsibility is to create chances, whether through goals, assists or simply forcing defenses to react.

"I help the team win by creating chances and just being a dangerous player," Mitchell said. "I want my teammates to be able to look at me and rely on me to create chances. Whether it's creating assists or scoring goals, just be helpful to the team by being dangerous. I think everybody has a good role on the team. I feel like if everybody sticks to their role, that's just how the team wins."

Professional soccer will be waiting, but for Mitchell, one last season at SMU comes first.