SMU's Kevin Jennings Lands on Heisman Dark-Horse Radar

Look at the Heisman Trophy winners over the last decade, and a clear pattern appears. Fernando Mendoza won last season at 60/1. Lamar Jackson won at 50/1. Joe Burrow and DeVonta Smith won from a similar range. Only twice in 10 years has a preseason favorite inside 10/1 won the trophy.

The award does not get decided in August, Voters follow the player who controls the conversation in October and November.

READ MORE: SMU Football Stars Crash DCTF All-Texas List

CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford listed SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings at +10000 among his Heisman long shots for the 2026 season. Crawford’s logic is simple. The Heisman usually goes to a quarterback with elite numbers on a team in the College Football Playoff race. Jennings fits part of the profile already.

Crawford wrote Jennings “enters the season with more than 7,700 career passing yards, 55 touchdown passes and a CFP start on his résumé.” He also wrote “perception is what’s holding him back” because SMU does not get the same weekly attention as SEC or Big Ten programs.

Last season, Jennings threw for 3,641 yards, third most in the ACC and among the national leaders. He had 26 touchdown passes and a 146.6 passer rating, fifth best in the conference. He completed 66% of his passes and averaged 280.1 passing yards per game. He also became one of 11 quarterbacks in the country with at least 25 passing touchdowns and four rushing touchdowns, those numbers belong in a Heisman discussion. But what is keeping Jennings is turnovers

Jennings led the ACC with 13 interceptions in 2025. The timing hurt SMU in key moments. Even in the Mustangs’ bowl win over Arizona, Jennings threw three interceptions, his highest total of the season.

The fix is clear. Jennings needs faster decisions under pressure; he needs to move off his first read sooner and stop forcing throws into closed windows.

READ MORE: SMU Loses Montre Jackson Battle To Texas

The rest of the profile works, he has the arm, mobility, experience, production and leadership. Crawford wrote “if the Mustangs contend for another ACC title and CFP berth, Jennings has the experience, production and leadership to force his way into the Heisman conversation.”