SMU’s Alexander Kilgore Earns Another Good Works Team Nod

Alexander Kilgore is becoming the kind of player every college football program claims it wants, and SMU Football actually has.

The Mustangs' leader was named a 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team nominee, earning national recognition for his work in the community, academic commitment and impact on the field.

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It’s the second consecutive season Kilgore has landed on the nominee list.

That repeat honor says plenty about the Texas native.

Kilgore isn’t showing up for a single charity event, posing for a photo and checking a box.

He has spent time coaching young players at football camps in Dallas and Houston while also visiting patients at Children’s Health Hospital.

For kids who dream of playing college football, Kilgore offers more than instruction.

He gives them a direct connection to someone who has already reached that level and understands the responsibility that comes with it.

His influence inside SMU’s program has been just as important.

A team captain in 2025, Kilgore helped the Mustangs finish 9-4 and capture their first bowl victory since 2012. SMU ended that drought by defeating No. 17 Arizona in the Holiday Bowl, adding another milestone to the program’s rapid rise under head coach Rhett Lashlee.

Kilgore also played a leadership role on one of the country’s most disruptive defenses.

The Mustangs finished fifth nationally in turnovers forced and red-zone defense, eighth in interceptions and 10th in defensive touchdowns.

SMU also ranked among the top 25 in fumble recoveries, turnover margin, rushing defense, sacks and fourth-down stops.

That’s not a defense built on passive football.

SMU attacked the ball, pressured quarterbacks and repeatedly flipped games with momentum-changing plays.

Kilgore’s presence helped establish the standard behind that aggressive identity.

The final 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team will be revealed in September.

Only 22 players and one honorary coach will be selected, with one student-athlete later chosen as team captain and recipient of the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy.

Whether Kilgore makes the final roster or not, the nomination reinforces what SMU already knows.

He isn’t valuable simply because of what happens between the sidelines.

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He’s valuable because he understands that wearing the uniform creates opportunities to influence people who may never attend a game.

Statistics can show what a player produced.

Alexander Kilgore’s second straight Good Works Team nomination shows who he’s becoming.