Introducing SMU's 2024 football captains

Heading into Saturday’s Week 0 matchup against the Nevada Wolfpack, the SMU Mustangs announced six players that will serve as the team’s captains throughout the 2024 season. The captains, who were voted on by their fellow teammates, are quarterbacks Preston Stone and Kevin Jennings, safety Jonathan McGill, center Justin Osborne, edge rusher Elijah Roberts and linebacker Kobe Wilson. 

For Stone, Osborne and McGill, the 2024 season will be their second as a team captain. They served with Brandon Crossley, Jake Bailey, Tyler Lavine and Elijah Chatman last year, leading the Mustangs to an 11-3 finish and SMU’s first conference title since 1984. Now entering the team’s first season in the ACC, the captains will try to produce similar results.

Quarterback Preston Stone

Returning for his fourth season on the Hilltop, Stone earned the starting job after another fall camp competition. He’s coming off of a season that earned him plenty of preseason buzz this year, including landing spots on the Maxwell Award watch list, Davey O’Brien Award watch list, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list and more. 

He threw for 3,197 yards with 28 touchdowns and just six interceptions while taking 12 sacks. Stone accomplished all of that before suffering an abrupt season-ending leg injury, which forced him to miss the conference title game against Tulane. Despite the injury, he’s feeling better than ever and he’s ready to lead the team again.

“I really feel like my confidence at an all-time high playing right now,” Stone said. “You know, I feel more stable in the pocket. I feel like I have more chemistry with this receiver group than I’ve ever had. So, you know, I feel I have a ton of confidence myself, a ton of confidence in my team.”

Quarterback Kevin Jennings

It’s a rarity for a team to nominate more than one quarterback as a captain since it’s one of the only positions where the playing time is limited to one player. However, the Mustangs are doing it a little differently this year. After Kevin Jennings stepped up to lead SMU to victory over Tulane for the ACC title, he has also earned the trust of his teammates, enough to land a captaincy for this season. 

Not only will he serve as captain, but this weekend against Nevada, Jennings will play, according to Lashlee. The head coach and offensive coordinator have a plan to get the backup in the game.

“Our team believes in both of them,” Lashlee said this week. “I think they showed that. They overwhelmingly voted Preston as a captain, says what they think about him. But they also voted Kevin as a captain. So I think that just shows the respect and belief, having both those guys.”

Center Justin Osborne

Justin Osborne will start at center for the Mustangs after holding down an offensive line that gave up just 16 sacks during the 2023 season. The Flower Mound, Texas native began his collegiate career at Auburn before transferring to SMU after one year in Alabama. He was among the team’s All-AAC First-Team members last year after starting most games on the right side of the OL.

It’s no surprise that Osborne’s teammates once again voted him as a team captain. His biggest goal this offseason was to lift his teammates up.

“A big thing for me was just being the biggest leader I can,” Osborne said. “Just leading my teammates to just be better every day. Not so worried about myself because I know what I’m gonna bring to the table. But just bringing everybody else up, I felt like that was my biggest goal.”

Safety Jonathan McGill

Having already closed a very successful chapter of his football career at Stanford, Jonathan McGill transferred to SMU last season and quickly won over his teammates. He’ll captain the team for a second year in 2024 after earning All-AAC third-team honors in 2023. 

McGill posted 55 tackles last season, which was good for fourth on the defense. He also had nine pass breakups, an interception and 5.5 tackles for loss.

Defensive End Elijah Roberts

Serving for the first time as a team captain for SMU, Elijah Roberts is coming off of a stellar year with the Mustangs. The former Miami transfer started all 14 games in 2023, tallying 37 tackles and leading the team in sacks with 10. His sack figures placed him second in the AAC.

Now named a captain, Roberts is working on finding his voice in a room full of veterans.

“Just trying to be more vocal,” Robert said of his growth. “I’m more of a guy who doesn’t really like, I’m not saying I don’t like to talk, I’m just not the rah -rah type of guy, I kind of like to lead by example, lead with how I’m doing things.”

Linebacker Kobe Wilson

Kobe Wilson, the Mustangs’ leading tackler last season, is another first-time team captain for SMU. A former starter as a freshman for the Temple Owls, Wilson transferred to the Hilltop for the 2023 season. He started 12 of 14 games played, tallying 80 tackles with one sack, one interception, one forced fumble and one recovery.

Of all of the Mustangs’ new captains, Wilson was the most surprise to learn of his new honor. He was at a loss and deeply moved by his teammates’ belief in him.

“At that meeting, the captain’s meeting, I was actually surprised because I came in here last year and I didn’t think people were looking up to me,” Wilson said. “Because I was just leading by example, I guess, but I was really surprised. 

“I was at a loss for words… It means a lot to me because not only does that show that they trust in me, but they trust in my ability to play as well. So the fact that they noticed the hard work I’ve been putting in all.”