SMU football is ranked No. 18 in a post-spring Top 25 as Kevin Jennings and the Mustangs push to prove they’re ACC contenders.
SMU football is getting more national attention after spring practice, and the Mustangs are right in the thick of the early ACC conversation.
In Bleacher Report’s post-spring Top 25, SMU checked in at No. 18, a notable placement for a program still working to prove it can turn recent momentum into staying power on the national stage.
The ranking comes as college football shifts from spring workouts into summer, when depth charts, quarterback battles and transfer portal additions start shaping preseason expectations.
For the Mustangs, the biggest reason for optimism is obvious: Kevin Jennings.
Jennings gives SMU something many teams are still trying to find ... stability at quarterback. Entering his third year as the Mustangs’ starter, Jennings brings experience, leadership and continuity to an offense that should again be one of the most interesting units in the ACC.
That matters in a league where the pecking order behind Miami looks wide open.
The Hurricanes are viewed as the ACC favorite after a national runner-up finish and a transfer class led by quarterback Darian Mensah. But after Miami, the debate gets messy quickly.
SMU, Louisville, Virginia, Clemson, NC State and Pitt all have arguments for why they could crash the top of the conference race.
That’s where SMU’s ranking becomes important.
The Mustangs aren’t being treated as a fluke or a cute offseason story. They’re being viewed as a legitimate Top 25 team with a real shot to stay in the ACC title race if Jennings and the offense deliver.
SMU also benefits from the uncertainty around the rest of the league. Louisville has Jeff Brohm, one of the better offensive coaches in college football.
Clemson is trying to prove its dip is temporary. NC State has belief around quarterback CJ Bailey. Virginia wants to show last season wasn’t a one-year spike.
But SMU’s formula is pretty easy to understand: quarterback continuity, offensive confidence and a program that has already shown it can adapt quickly.
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Spring rankings don’t decide anything, and the Top 25 will change before kickoff. Injuries, fall camp surprises and transfer fits can shift the whole picture.
Still, for SMU, landing at No. 18 is another sign the Mustangs have moved from hopeful outsider to serious ACC contender.
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