Things are still trending toward the senior quarterback being ready for the Mustangs' season-opener on
SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings suffered a jammed finger on his throwing hand during the preseason program, according to multiple reports on Monday.
Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashlee said the senior will be "limited" for the next several days. Lashlee remains optimistic about Jennings' status for the season opener Sep. 7 at Florida State.
"At the last few days, Kevin has been limited," Lashlee said this week. "Everything's fine. After our first night of practice, in the locker room, was leaving [through] a door and someone was coming in, and [the door] got pushed and smashed the tip of his finger. There's no issues - it's just a really bad jam.
"But we're going to just take a week, maybe two. We actually just got a really good report this morning. There's no long-term effects. He's going to be fine by Game 1 and have plenty of time to prepare."
Jennings is thought to be a Heisman Trophy candidate for SMU, which finds itself ranked No. 20 in the preseason coaches poll.
In the meantime, backup QB Ty Hawkins will be getting snaps with the first team at practice.
"What we're also doing is looking at it from ... 'Well, let's take the next week and really get Ty a bunch of reps for the season, and make sure it's 100 percent," Lashlee explained. "Like, why would we push [Jennings] back when we're four weeks out from playing, push him back out there and make him go through ... risk hitting a helmet and further injure it?
"So it's just a minor little deal. We got good news — it's not going to affect the season, or him in terms of the opener. But that's why you may see him out there with a little bandage on his finger and not throwing for a few days.'"
Jennings is the unquestioned leader of a Mustangs team looking to continue competing atop the ACC, and in turn, usher him into the national spotlight.
The Dallas native could be ready for an even greater breakout season as one of the best gunslingers in the country, according to ESPN's award predictions.
Of the teams in the publication's offseason top 25, Jennings was chosen for the No. 22-ranked Mustangs as the player most likely to receive an end-of-season award.
"The first time Jennings inherited the starting job at SMU, he led the Mustangs to an American Conference title. After winning the job the next year, he led SMU to the College Football Playoff. In 2025, he blossomed with his best season yet, and now he's back for 2026," said writer David Hale.
"Jennings will enter the season as one of the most experienced and prolific QBs in the country - 65 career TDs, nearly 8,000 passing yards - and SMU coaches have said they think his best is yet to come."
That remains the case ... once that finger gets back to full strength.
"It's just part of football," Lashlee said. "Things are always unplanned, but we're going to be just fine."
