SMU names Preston Stone starting QB vs. Nevada, Kevin Jennings to play
SMU will start Preston Stone at quarterback against Nevada, head coach Rhett Lashlee announced on Tuesday. The coach of the Mustangs also said that Kevin Jennings will also see time on the field.
Stone is SMU’s returning starter and garnered plenty of preseason attention. Stone was named to the Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list, the Manning Award watch list, the Maxwell Award watch list, Davey O’Brien Award watch list, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football All-Texas Second Team, Pix Six Previews Preseason All-ACC Second Team and the East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 List.
In 2023, Stone threw for a career highs in yards (3,197) and touchdowns (28). His 90.9 passing grade last season by Pro Football Focus (PFF) led all American Athletic Conference (AAC) quarterbacks. He led the Mustangs to an AAC Championship game appearance in his first year as the starter. 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.
Lashlee brought both signal callers to ACC Media Day last month. He said at the time both deserved to be there and last week, the team voted to have Stone and Jennings as captains.
“There’s a reason both Preston and Kevin are here today,” Lashlee said last month. “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. Both guys have some different strengths, but they have a skill set that fits our offense well. 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.”
Against Nevada on Saturday, the Mustangs open the third season under Lashlee’s direction. It’s the first season the program is in the Atlantic Coast Conference, moving up to a power conference.
SMU kicks off against Nevada at 7 p.m. CT on CBS Sports Network. The Mustangs are 18-9 under Lashlee’s leadership.
