SMU Floods Yahoo College Fantasy Rankings With Nine Mustangs

DALLAS - SMU football isn’t entering Yahoo’s new college fantasy game as some cute sleeper pick. The Mustangs are practically taking over the draft board.

Yahoo placed nine SMU players or units inside its inaugural college fantasy football top 300, more than any other ACC program.

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Louisville finished with eight entries and Miami had seven, giving the Mustangs another reason to believe their 2026 offense could become one of the conference’s biggest problems.

Kevin Jennings remains the headliner. Yahoo ranked him as its No. 14 fantasy quarterback and second-best option in the ACC, trailing only Miami transfer Darian Mensah.

Jennings’ fantasy ceiling will depend heavily on whether his rushing production rebounds.

He ran for 354 yards and five touchdowns in 2024 before seeing those numbers decline last season. Add that mobility back to his passing production, and Jennings could become a weekly lineup monster.

Kendrick Raphael might be SMU’s most valuable fantasy weapon.

The former Cal running back rushed for 943 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2025 while adding 34 receptions for 245 yards and another score.

In a points-per-reception format, that combination of carries, catches and red-zone work makes Raphael more dangerous than his No. 22 positional ranking suggests.

Yahoo placed him 25th overall, making him a realistic second- or third-round target in standard 12-team drafts.

SMU’s receiver room offers more volume than certainty. Yamir Knight leads the group at No. 47 among receivers after catching 54 passes for 637 yards and five touchdowns last season.

Yannick Smith, Jalen Hale and Jalen Cooper also cracked the rankings, giving fantasy managers several options to watch during camp.

The problem is figuring out which one Jennings will feed consistently.

Randy Pittman Jr. could become a sneaky answer at tight end. The Florida State transfer caught 23 passes for 208 yards last season, but SMU’s history of involving tight ends gives him a chance to outperform Yahoo’s No. 12 ranking at the position.

The Mustangs also landed inside the top 20 in both unit categories. SMU’s team offense ranks 16th nationally, while its defense and special teams checks in at No. 14.

That defensive ranking may raise eyebrows, but the Mustangs’ ability to create turnovers keeps the unit fantasy relevant even with questions along the defensive line and in the secondary.

Yahoo’s rankings aren’t predicting an ACC championship. They’re revealing just how many different ways SMU can hurt opponents.

MORE: SMU Mustangs Are Built to Steal the ACC Crown in 2026

Jennings brings dual-threat upside. Raphael supplies touchdowns and receiving value. The receivers offer depth, while both team units carry weekly starting potential.

The Mustangs aren’t merely represented in college fantasy football; they might be one of its first cheat codes.