Rhett Lashlee explains how SMU will deploy Preston Stone, Kevin Jennings in QB room

Seeing a quarterback present at conference media days is nothing out of the ordinary and a common occurrence. Rarely do you see two signal callers make a trip, something Rhett Lashlee and SMU did on Monday. Both Preston Stone and Kevin Jennings made the flight to Charlotte to represent the Mustangs as they enter the ACC.

Stone and Jennings made huge impacts for SMU during the 2023 season. While Stone entered the year as the starter, Jennings then finished the job, and got SMU to heights they had not reached in quite some time. Lashlee is appreciative of the work both have done thus far.

“There’s a reason both Preston and Kevin are here today,” Lashlee said Monday at ACC Media Days. “They both earned the right to be here. I think what Preston did as a first-year starter, 11-2 as a starter, was playing his best football when he got injured late in the season.

“Kevin stepped in, his first career start, wins a conference championship game for us on the road in a fairly convincing fashion.”

Stone suffered a season-ending injury against Navy, breaking his fibula just days before the AAC Championship game against Tulane. Lashlee had to turn to Jennings in a big moment, one the Dallas native delivered on. SMU was able to win the school’s first conference championship since 1984 in the Southwest Conference.

Lashlee does not have an exact plan for how a potential two-quarterback system will work heading into the 2024 season. He does believe both Stone and Jennings will need to individually step up at one point this season.

In today’s college football, having two quarterbacks can be the difference between a championship and falling flat.

“Both guys have some different strengths, but they have a skill set that fits our offense well,” Lashlee said. “We had to have both of those guys to win a conference championship last year. There’s no question in my mind for us to be successful, we got to have both of them this year. Just thankful they’re both here.”

Stone surpassed the 3,000-yard mark in 12 games last season, adding 28 touchdowns and just six interceptions. Nearly 200 yards and four touchdowns were also added on the ground.

Jennings played in eight total games but got those two starts at the end of the year. He threw for 394 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions against Tulane and Boston College while completing 53.1% of his throws.