SMU football has star power, but five under-the-radar Mustangs could become 2026 difference-makers and push Rhett Lashlee’s team toward a serious ACC title run.
DALLAS - SMU football enters the 2026 season with recognizable stars such as Kevin Jennings, Kendrick Raphael and PJ Williams.
But the Mustangs’ championship ceiling may be determined by a group of overlooked players ready to force their way into the spotlight.
SMU on SI discussed the breakout possibilities and indicated that Tyren Polley might be the most intriguing name of the bunch.
The sophomore safety was limited to five games after breaking his right hand as a true freshman, yet he still intercepted two passes while playing with a club.
Rhett Lashlee believed Polley was talented enough to start immediately last season, and the departures of Isaiah Nwokobia and Ahmaad Moses have created a major opening in the secondary.
SMU added Jimmy Wyrick and Jarvis Lee through the transfer portal, but Polley’s instincts and ball skills could make him the defense’s next turnover-producing star.
Derrick McFall also looks too explosive to remain buried on the depth chart. The versatile playmaker averaged 5.4 yards per carry and caught 19 passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns last season.
He’s now listed as both a running back and wide receiver, suggesting SMU’s coaching staff is searching for creative ways to put the ball in his hands.
With Raphael expected to lead the backfield and the receiver room undergoing major changes, McFall could become a matchup nightmare who lines up all over the formation.
Up front, Dramodd Odoms has the size and recruiting pedigree to become impossible to ignore. The former five-star prospect stands 6-6 and weighs 318 pounds, making him the biggest projected starter on SMU’s offensive line.
He appeared in four games last season and preserved his redshirt, but he now has an opportunity to join Williams, Joshua Bates and Addison Nichols on a potentially dominant unit.
Marcellus Barnes Jr. is another player positioned for a jump. The Syracuse transfer recorded at least four tackles in five of SMU’s final seven games, intercepted a pass against his former team and finished the season with six pass breakups.
After gaining valuable starting experience, Barnes could develop into the Mustangs’ top cover corner and an All-ACC candidate.
Then there’s Jalen Hale, perhaps the biggest wild card on the roster.
The Alabama transfer was once ranked among the nation’s top wide receiver recruits and caught five passes for 148 yards and a touchdown as a freshman.
A devastating knee injury cost him the 2024 season, and he never reclaimed a major role in Tuscaloosa.
Now healthy, Hale has a fresh opportunity in an offense that needs to replace deep threats Jordan Hudson and Romello Brinson.
SMU already has proven stars. If even two or three of these breakout candidates hit, the Mustangs could become one of the ACC’s most dangerous teams.
