Rhett Lashlee names Kevin Jennings as SMU starting QB, Preston Stone now 2nd string
SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee announced Kevin Jennings will be the team’s starting quarterback vs. TCU at his Tuesday press conference. The Mustangs are on a bye then face TCU on Sept. 21 in Gerald J. Ford Stadium.
“When it comes to the quarterback situation, I think we’ve got a clear direction now and consistency,” Lashlee said. “Kevin Jennings is gonna be our starting quarterback. Preston will serve as the backup. It was not an easy decision in terms of the fact that Preston’s a winner. He loves this place. He’s given a lot to this program. It is not all about Preston. It’s just this gives our team the best chance moving forward right now and that’s what we’re gonna do. Like I said, he’s a winner. It’s not the last you’ll hear of Preston Stone. But that’s what we’re gonna do with Kevin moving forward. We got a lot of confidence in our football team to clean up the things we need to clean up.”
In the first three weeks of the season, Jennings split snaps with fellow quarterback Preston Stone. Stone’s night ended after three series against BYU, going 2-of-4 for four yards and three sacks. The offensive line was abysmal, but Lashlee opted to go with Jennings the rest of the way against the Cougars.
SMU lost 18-15, squandering numerous redzone trips. Jennings finished 15-of-32 for 140 yards and an interception. In his first extended action of the season, he felt good, but was disappointed in the result.
“I felt great out there,” Jennings said after the game. “Just go out there and have fun with the boys, you know. I’m playing a football game. I thought we played really hard, but just the outcome just wasn’t there for us. But we played really hard as a football team.”
Stone led SMU to a 10-2 record as a starter in 2023 as the Mustangs ascended into the Top 25 and led the team to a berth in the AAC Championship game. In 2023, Stone threw for a career highs in yards (3,197) and touchdowns (28). The Dallas native completed 206 of 344 passes with a 28-6 touchdown to interception ratio.
Jennings, also a Dallas native, started the championship game against Tulane and the Fenway Bowl against Boston College, going 1-1 in his starts. Last season for SMU, he completed 61 of 105 passes for 618 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. He saw action in eight games for the Mustangs.
