Kevin Jennings for Heisman? Why a hometown long-shot could take SMU to the top of the sport

DALLAS -- Kevin Jennings walks into the team meeting room at SMU wearing an all-black sweatsuit, his slouching 6-foot frame making him nearly indistinguishable from other students. He puts down his backpack and pulls out an SMU polo that he keeps handy for interviews. Always ready.

Talking has never quite come naturally for Jennings. Early in his career, answers at press conferences would only last a handful of words. Even as he rose to become one of the top high school quarterbacks in South Dallas, he spoke with his game.

"I'm just trying to get better at my craft [of talking] each and every day because at the next level, that's what it's going to be," Jennings said, his eyes wandering between mine and the ground. "You're going to be the face of the franchise, you've got to do a lot of stuff. It's all about reps."

Heading into his final year of college football, silence is no longer enough.

So the famously quiet Jennings is shuttling from media appearances to NIL events. He's in advertising campaigns and photoshoots as SMU attempts to make its third conference championship game appearance in four years.

And in a few weeks, SMU will launch its first true Heisman Trophy campaign since the Pony Express days in the 1980s.

"We don't want to talk about ourselves, but Kevin deserves to be in that conversation," Lashlee said. "We have to push him. We have to tell his story. We're not at the point yet where everyone's going to tell it for us."

Consider this: Jennings ranks top 10 nationally among returning quarterbacks in career passing yards, passing touchdowns, total yards and wins. Only USC's Jayden Maiava threw for more yards than Jennings last year among Power Four quarterbacks returning to their programs.

Jennings has a 14-2 record in ACC play, with the losses coming by a combined four points. That includes an 8-0 run in 2024 that ended in the College Football Playoff. And yet, Jennings has the 33rd-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy at 100-to-1, behind even first-time starters like Louisville's Lincoln Kienholz and Florida's Aaron Philo.

"I think he's a top-five quarterback," SMU quarterback coach D'Eriq King said. "And I think if people would turn the tape on and get over the logos, they'll see the same thing."

Dallas's own

Jennings was born and raised in South Dallas, only 20 minutes from SMU's glitzy University Park campus, but a life away. UP is one of the wealthiest parts of Texas; South Oak Cliff is one of the poorest.

"[South Dallas] is hard-working, feisty," said SMU defensive back Abdul Muhammad, who played with Jennings in high school. "You want to do something great and not just be regular because there's so much stuff that you don't want to fall into that goes around in those areas."

Jennings starred at South Oak Cliff High School, emerging as one of the top quarterbacks in the area. Offers did not follow. Until Lashlee fatefully attended one of Jennings' playoff games to scout other players, his only Division I offer was from Missouri State. Asked Lashlee: "What am I missing?"

There were plenty of unorthodox parts to Jennings' game. He danced in the pocket to find angles, but he kept his eyes downfield. Jennings' frame didn't stand out much on a team filled with major college talent. His passing motion could sometimes get a little loose. But when the ball came out of his hand, it flew. And on the rare occasion when he spoke, players listened.

"He just has a presence that all great quarterbacks, leaders, people have," Lashlee said. "When you're around them, you feel their presence, you can see it."

Two weeks later, Jennings led South Oak Cliff to a state title, the first for a Dallas Independent School District school since 1958. That same week, he signed with SMU, only 12 miles from home.

Exceeding expectations

When Jennings got to campus, his perfect foil was waiting. Preston Stone was a national top-150 recruit, one of the best in SMU history. He grew up blocks from SMU's campus, the son of two alums, and attended private school in the north suburbs. Stone was born to be a quarterback at SMU.

He was outstanding in his first season as a starter for the Mustangs, throwing for more than 3,000 yards and leading SMU to an AAC Championship Game appearance. The storybook ending seemed inevitable, especially with SMU suddenly set to enter the ACC the next year. A broken leg in the regular-season finale was a dose of reality.

After the injury, Jennings was asked to make his first college start in the conference title game against reigning champion Tulane. He fumbled on the very first play of the game and threw another interception to end the first period. But as the game went on, Jennings' high school magic returned. He threw for 203 yards and rushed for 63 more as the Mustangs won their first conference title since 1984 under Bobby Collins.

With Stone sidelined for the spring, Jennings got to take the first-team snaps. Behind the scenes, the team's leadership dynamic started to shift.

"Kevin took charge every day at practice, even with Preston," offensive lineman P.J. Williams said. "You never get two quarterbacks taking charge in the program, for real. Kevin didn't even know if he was really going to play that year, so that should tell you the kind of person Kevin is."

Lashlee agonized over the decision. He helped recruit Stone to campus, and the legacy had done absolutely nothing wrong. Three drives into the game against BYU, he knew what he had to do. Jennings was in. Behind a rebuilding offensive line, playing in power conference matchups, Jennings' versatility was a game-changer. He would never come out again.

"I've told people before, it's the hardest decision I've had to make as a head coach, but it was also one of the easiest to know what to do," Lashlee said. "By that point, our entire staff saw it, our team saw it, and that's why it worked."

Rewriting the narrative

Since Jennings' arrival, SMU has been on a magical run. The Mustangs have the ACC's best conference record over the past two years. They were one play away from reaching the ACC title game in consecutive seasons, falling just short on a tiebreaker. He threw for 365 yards and a touchdown to help lead an upset of Miami, the final loss the Hurricanes took until the national title game.

In 2024, SMU reached the College Football Playoff, becoming only the third program from the state of Texas to do so. After the season, Jennings was mobbed with offers to transfer. For him, it was never an option.

"I'm born and raised in Dallas," Jennings said. "I'm trying to leave a legacy here, and that's the main thing for me. I didn't want to go anywhere else."

Last year, Jennings suffered an ankle injury against Baylor, neutralizing his dynamic running ability. To compensate, he pushed his completion percentage to 66.1% and threw for a career-high 3,641 yards -- the third-best mark in program history. If he can replicate those numbers, he will rewrite the SMU record book and potentially rise into the top five in ACC history for passing yards.

As his star has grown, so too has his leadership. Jennings has become a mainstay around SMU's campus, showing up to support every athletic team. He's mentored young quarterbacks and helped the Mustangs retain key talent. And as SMU tries to push its brand across the Metroplex, Jennings has helped build bridges.

"I think he understands the significance of his role as the quarterback here," SMU athletic director Damon Evans said. "There's something unique about him in this era."

Can he win?

On the northeast corner of Gerald J. Ford Stadium stands an imposing nine-foot bronze sculpture of Doak Walker. The structure mirrors the historic trophy that carries his name, given each year to the best running back in America.

Walker's Heisman Trophy was a transformational moment, not just for SMU but for football in the city of Dallas. After the win, SMU moved to the Cotton Bowl and helped spearhead a massive stadium expansion. Twelve years later, the venue helped attract the Dallas Cowboys to the Metroplex.

SMU knows the power of a Heisman Trophy and how it can shape the years to come.

So what would it take for Jennings to actually bring home the nation's top honor? Certainly, SMU would have to beat Miami in the ACC title game. He'd have to outplay Hurricanes QB Darian Mensah, another Heisman contender, to make it happen.

Statistically, Jennings needs to be exceptional. Four quarterbacks have won the Heisman Trophy in the past five years. Those quarterbacks averaged 3,797 yards passing, 444 rushing and 45 total touchdowns in the regular season, all of which are within Jennings' grasp. The place where he really needs to take a step? The winners have a right around a 17-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Jennings has thrown 24 interceptions over the past two seasons. With some improvement, though, it's doable.

"No one was talking about Fernando Mendoza (in the) preseason last year and then he wins the Heisman," Lashlee said. "The same thing can happen here. There's no question if we can win and win early, look at what he's done for our school, look at the kind of player he is and the legacy he's going to leave."

There are a few things that work in Jennings' favor. In the first three weeks of the season, SMU plays both Florida State and Louisville on the road, the former of which will be a standalone game. Late in the season, SMU goes on the road to play Notre Dame, a CFP favorite that could enter the game ranked No. 1. Magical performances will stick in voters' minds at the right time.

For one of the quietest quarterbacks in the country, it'll never quite feel natural to vocally make his case. But after two seasons of success, it's time for SMU to fight back.

"I mean, of course I'm gonna feel a certain way about not being nationally noticed," Jennings said. "But at the end of the day, it's about my teammates, the staff, the family members, it's about what they think of me, that's who I've gotta gain respect from."