SMU football is earning 2026 preseason Top 25 respect behind Kevin Jennings, Rhett Lashlee and a roster built to challenge for the ACC title.
SMU football is showing up all over the 2026 preseason Top 25 conversation, and that says plenty about where Rhett Lashlee has taken the program.
After proving it could compete in the ACC, SMU enters the offseason with real national buzz, thanks largely to quarterback Kevin Jennings, roster continuity and another aggressive transfer portal haul.
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The Mustangs aren’t being treated like a nice story anymore. They’re being talked about like a team that could make a serious run at the ACC title.
That kind of respect starts with Jennings. In a sport where plenty of contenders are still sorting out the game’s most important position, SMU brings back a proven leader.
Jennings has thrown for roughly 7,000 yards over the last two seasons, giving the Mustangs experience, production and confidence under center.
That matters in a league race that should again be packed with high-end quarterback play. SMU doesn’t have to guess what it has there, and that gives Lashlee a huge edge heading into fall camp.
Lashlee is another major reason the Mustangs are drawing early praise.
He’s turned SMU into a program that expects to win, not one that hopes to hang around. Back-to-back seasons in the ACC spotlight have changed the way national analysts view the Mustangs. This team now carries credibility, and that’s a big shift from simply being viewed as an upstart.
The roster also looks built to hold up over a long season. SMU kept key returning pieces in place while adding around 16 transfers to strengthen depth and patch holes. That blend of veteran leadership and portal help is exactly what teams need to survive a Power Four schedule.
Miami may still be the favorite in the ACC, but SMU has clearly moved into the next tier of contenders. The Mustangs have the quarterback, the coach and the roster to justify the hype.
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