Rhett Lashlee claims SMU QB Kevin Jennings 'not talked about enough' among best in college football

You can’t say Rhett Lashlee doesn’t have Kevin Jennings’ back going into the 2026 season. The SMU coach-QB combo can certainly make some noise this fall in the ACC and perhaps nationwide, once again.

If you’re asking yourself “again,” that’s where you lose Lashlee. The head coach claimed his quarterback was not talked about enough when it comes to the best passers in the country.

SMU did in fact make the CFP in 2024-25 with Jennings under center. And the Mustangs made the ACC Championship in their first year in the league.

But after missing out last year, Lashlee and Jennings were thrown by the wayside, at least amongst the elite. Three-plus months out from the season, Lashlee wants to change that narrative.

“Kevin Jennings is not talked about enough. Kevin Jennings is not talked about enough as the best quarterback in the ACC,” Lashlee said on Sirius XM. “He’s not talked about enough as a Heisman candidate, a top five, 10 quarterback in the country. I think people get lazy and they start putting out lists and they go to the same normal name brands, they look for certain names, they look for hot transfers, and they just throw stuff out, and they overlook the fact that he’s the winningest returning quarterback in the ACC. 

“He’s got the number one winning percentage of any Power Four quarterback returning in America. He’s 19-7, that’s a .731 winning percentage. Him and the quarterback at Houston are tied with that. He’s got the third most wins of any returning P4 in the country at 19, okay, only Noah at Arizona, who he beat last year, has one more and Rocco Becht, has the most of Power Four quarterbacks.”

Last season, Jennings threw for 3,641 yards, 26 touchdowns, 13 interceptions and a 66.1% completion percentage. He added four touchdowns on the ground.

Over the course of his career, Jennings has had solid numbers, particularly in the last two years as the starter for SMU. Jennings has 7,709 yards, 55 touchdowns, 26 interceptions, a 65% completion percentage, 559 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.

“He’s top 10 in passing yards in the country, returning, he’s top 10 in returning touchdowns, he leads the league in returning yards … and he’s top 10 in the country in returning total yards,” Lashlee said. “I mean, he’s going to probably, if he stays healthy, he’s going to end his career SMU’s all-time leader in every category. He’s going to be top 10 in every category in the ACC, probably top five in all-purpose yards in what, two and a half years … I mean, all he does is win, and he has elevated our program. 

“What he did in the first year in the league … it got talked about, but should have been talked about even more, probably. And what he did last year, he was hurt, goes out and throws for 365 and beats Miami … He’s a winner, and so I hope people will start to give him, forget SMU, give him the respect he deserves as a player on his own.”