If you tend to believe that the SMU Mustangs’ unexpected run to the College Football Playoff in 2024 was less of a flash in the pan and more of a sign of things to come, then the source of your optimism is likely rooted in the return of quarterback Kevin Jennings, who started the 2024 season as QB2 on the Mustangs depth chart but ended the year as an All-ACC performer.
Jennings will be back in 2025, and for the first time in his four seasons at SMU, he’ll enter the season as the Mustangs’ starting quarterback. Rightfully, after a season in which he threw for 3,245 yards and was responsible for 28 total touchdowns, Jennings has been the recipient of a significant amount of hype. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Jennings has the eleventh-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy in 2025, with Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik being the only ACC player with more favorable odds.
But in addition to oddsmakers and the coaches on the Mustangs staff who are thrilled to have Jennings back in Dallas for another season, former Super Bowl winning head coach Jon Gruden is anticipating that Jennings is primed for a big season in 2025 too.
“SMU QB Kevin Jennings!” Gruden said in a tweet that included a photo of himself with Jennings. “Think SMU can have another great year, what a great young man!”
Gruden, who made a career as a coach and an analyst as something of a quarterback whisperer, was present at the Manning Passing Academy earlier this week. In addition to Jennings, other big name, high-profile signal-callers from the ACC were present too, including Duke’s $4 million man Darian Mensah, Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, and North Carolina’s Gio Lopez, among others. Fellow Lone Star state star Arch Manning of the University of Texas was also (predictably) in attendance.
Even if Jennings reaches another level, as many within the program expect he will, it will be a tough task for SMU to replicate what they did last season. Unlike last year, Clemson and Miami are both on the Mustangs schedule in 2025.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp