SMU emerged from a 40-year NCAA-induced coma in 2023 when the Mustangs won their first outright conference crown since 1983 – the same year current head coach Rhett Lashlee was born. The Ponies stormed past AAC foes with an 8-0 conference record that was punctuated with a win at Tulane in the championship game. 

An irony exists here. The Mustangs were buried by the Death Penalty in the 1980s when they were caught paying football players. That same program was provided an indirect stay of execution when courts ruled it was illegal for the NCAA to deny athletes’ ability to earn money from their name, image, and likeness. Add in the Transfer Portal and the Hilltop is suddenly a destination spot.

But hidden beneath the excitement of joining the ACC and winning a conference title for the first time since the early 1980s is an unconventional truth: SMU was 0-3 in 2023 against Power Five competition. That includes a 23-14 loss in the Fenway Bowl to future conference foe Boston College. Most defending conference champions enter the next season as favorites. But not the Ponies. That’s okay with Lashlee. 

“I’m not saying we like being the underdogs, but I think we’ve learned to work to try and overcome all the obstacles put in our way over the last 40 years,” he said. “It’s been such a long road back for our fans as a program. We see the move up as an opportunity to play on the biggest stage again for the first time in a couple of generations.” 

To his point, the last graduating class at SMU to enjoy major college football on campus graduated before the 21st Century because the Southwest Conference broke up in 1996. Older fans watched Texas and Texas A&M play against the Ponies in nationally relevant games. Younger alumni battled through home games against WAC, Conference USA, and AAC foes. The 2023 conference schedule included home games against Charlotte, Tulsa, and Navy. The 2024 schedule hosts Florida State, Pitt, and Boston College. Times, they are a changin’.

To change with them, the Ponies faced reality in the offseason. Instead of a regular season schedule of 10 games against the G5 and two vs. the Power Four (RIP Pac-12), SMU flips it as members of the ACC with 10 scheduled games in 2024 against the heavyweights of college football. The first fix must be turnovers. Lashlee’s crew was plus-eight in turnover margin in 11 games against G5 programs, but minus-four in three games versus the Power Five. The second is about the roster, specifically depth in the trenches.

“The physicality week in and week out will be a difference,” Lashlee admits. “We’ve proven we can hang in a one-off situation. To win consistently, it’ll take us staying healthy while maintaining the depth and physicality.” 

SMU is also preparing mentally for a tougher grind. A good first half in 2023 against the average AAC team resulted in a three- or four-touchdown lead at halftime. That same performance might lead to a 21-10 lead at the break against the average ACC program. The old schedule didn’t require the Mustangs to play their best football to win. This year, they need to play their best football to stand a chance. 

“The margin of error is much thinner,” Lashlee said. “We can’t just show up and play okay to win conference games. We’ll need to play well to put ourselves in a position to win a close game in the fourth quarter. That’s how most of these games go.” 

The good news is that the roster is intact. Lashlee arrived ahead of the 2022 season and immediately went to work bringing in dozens of fresh faces. Only three players on the current roster were on the Hilltop when Lashlee took over. After two seasons of turnover, the Ponies know who they are.

“The biggest difference is that we have a veteran roster returning,” Lashlee said of his program now compared to Year 1. “That’s allowed us to further our culture and truly become a family-oriented team that is tough and together. That’ll help us as we move up a rung.” 

 

OFFENSE 

MVP - QB Preston Stone threw for over 3,000 yards in 12 games last season. 

 

SMU ranked eighth nationally and first in Texas at the FBS level with 38.3 points per game. In 10 wins over G5 competition, the Ponies scored 43.1 points per game. In the three losses against Power Five competition, SMU’s high-octane offense averaged only 14 ppg. That includes a 26-14 loss to AAC mate Boston College in the bowl game. 

But don’t expect a big drop off in success offensively for Rhett Lashlee’s bunch thanks to loads of returning experience. The quarterback room consists of two proven winners. Preston Stone, who missed the last few games of 2023 with a broken ankle, was medically cleared in the spring and should start in Week 1. Stone passed for 3,197 yards and 28 scores in 12 games. Kevin Jennings led SMU to a win over Tulane in the AAC championship game. 

“This is the best quarterback room I’ve ever been a part of,” Stone said. “Kevin (Jennings) and Keldric (Luster) would start for more than half of the teams in the country.” 

The quarterbacks won’t lack weapons. Tight end RJ Maryland was second on the team last year with 34 catches and tied for the team lead with seven touchdowns. The team’s leader in receptions last year, Jake Bailey, returns to a wide receiver room that brings back its top seven pass catchers from 2023. 

The three-headed running back room of Jaylan Knighton, LJ Johnson Jr., and Camar Wheaton return after combining for 1,731 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground. Star offensive lineman Justin Osborne moved inside to center to help open those rushing holes. A talented SMU offensive line also includes guards Logan Parr and Jakai Clark. PJ Williams returns at left tackle while Oklahoma transfer Savion Byrd is the favorite to start at right tackle. 

 

POSITION GROUP GRADES

QB: A

RB: A-  

WR/TE: B+

OL: B+

 

BREAKOUT CANDIDATES

UTL Brashard Smith – The coaching staff describes the Miami transfer as a Swiss-Army knife who will be an instant impact returner, as well as a difference maker at running back and wide receiver. 

TE Matthew Hibner – The senior transfer from Michigan provides a different dimension to the tight end room and allows the Mustangs to use two-tight end sets. 

WR Romello Brinson – SMU’s WR room is deep and Brinson is one of the most explosive. Key’Shawn Smith and Roderick Daniels Jr. should also get a mention. 

OL Nate Anderson – An Oklahoma transfer who played prep football in Frisco, Anderson is a senior who provides depth on the interior of the SMU offensive line. 

 

KEEP AN EYE ON

Stone didn’t make it through either of the last two seasons because of injuries. It was a broken collarbone in 2022 and a broken ankle in 2023. The good news for the Ponies is that backup quarterback Kevin Jennings is an experienced player. He threw for 203 yards and ran for 63 more in the AAC championship game win over Tulane. The South Oak Cliff export is now a sophomore and should be considered one of the more capable backup quarterbacks in the AAC. Only two of the 13 FBS programs started the same quarterback in every game last season. 

 

PROJECTED STARTERS 

QB: 2 Preston Stone  Jr. 

RB: 4 Jaylan Knighton           Sr. 

WR: 12 Jake Bailey    Sr. 

WR: 8 Jordan Hudson            Jr. 

WR: 5 Moochie Dixon            Sr. 

TE: 82 RJ Maryland   Jr. 

LT: 59 PJ Williams     Soph. 

LG: 71 Logan Parr     Sr. 

C: 51 Justin Osborne Sr. 

RG: 53 Jakai Clark     Sr. 

RT: 54 Savion Byrd    Jr. 

 

DEFENSE 

MVP - DL Elijah Roberts led the SMU defense with 10 sacks.  

 

No unit in Texas improved more from 2022 to 2023 than the SMU defense. The Mustangs allowed 33.8 points per game in 2022 – sandwiched between Tulsa and Indiana at 119th in the nation. They ranked 11th in the country while allowing 17.8 in a 2023 campaign. Defensive coordinator Scott Symons attributes the rapid evolution to improved talent imported from success in the transfer market and a second year in the system. 

“We had an idea in the fall that we were a better unit because of the players we added to the roster,” Symons said. “Playing well early against a team like Oklahoma gave us some confidence that increased in conference play.” 

Symons knows the move to the ACC means a bigger physical toll. Luckily for the Ponies, the defensive line and linebacker room return multiple key contributors. That includes all-conference performer Elijah Roberts at defensive end and linebackers Kobe Wilson and Ahmad Walker. Alex Kilgore and transfer Justin Medlock serve as the primary backups on the second level. 

SMU reinforced the ranks along the interior of the defensive line in anticipation of the move from middleweight to heavyweight. All eight of the incoming transfers at defensive tackle and defensive end arrive from a Power Four program, including Georgia, Ohio State, and Texas. Tank Booker and Jared Harrison-Hunte lead the way on the inside. 

The safety room might be the strength of the team thanks to Jonathan McGill, Isaiah Nwokobia, and nickelback Cale Sanders Jr. The cornerback spots are the true question marks on the defensive side. Texas A&M transfer Deuce Harmon has the upside. Jaelyn Davis-Robinson, Jahari Rogers, and AJ Davis are all in the mix, as well. 

 

POSITION GROUP GRADES

DL: B+ 

LB: A- 

DB: B

ST: B+

 

BREAKOUT CANDIDATES

CB AJ Davis – The staff said Davis turned in the best spring of any player at the cornerback position. The sophomore from Skyline played in seven games last year and recorded two tackles. 

DE Jahfari Harvey – Lashlee & Co. have leaned on the Miami connections with great success, and they think Harvey is next in line to contribute after transferring from the Hurricanes. 

LB Justin Medlock – Medlock and Alex Kilgore serve as understudies and primary backups to Wilson and Walker. Medlock, a Utah transfer, played in 15 games over two seasons for the Utes. 

DT Jared Harrison-Hunte – The Miami transfer wasn’t on the Hilltop for spring practices but Lashlee knows what the athletic defensive tackle can do. The Ponies feel like they have six AAC caliber options on the interior of the DL. 

 

 

KEEP AN EYE ON

The defense allowed nearly two touchdowns more a game in the three losses – all to Power Five competition – compared to the 11 wins. One of the major reasons for that discrepancy was the play of the defensive line. In the 11 wins, the Mustangs racked up 44 sacks. In the three losses, they only accounted for three. The unit averaged 7.82 tackles-for-loss against the G5 compared to 4.33 versus P5 competition. The run defense told a similar story with the Ponies allowing 214.3 yards in the three losses to P5 schools compared to 96.73 in the 11 wins over G5 programs. 

 

PROJETED STARTERS

DE: 5 Elijah Roberts   Sr. 

DT: Jared Harrison-Hunte Sr. 

NT: 10 Anthony Booker Jr.     Sr.  

Bandit: 58 Isaiah Smith         Jr. 

LB: 24 Kobe Wilson   Sr.  

LB: 34 Ahmad Walker            Sr. 

NB: 22 Cale Sanders Jr.        Sr. 

CB: 4 Jahari Rogers   Sr. 

CB: 13 Jaelyn Davis-Robinson          Soph. 

FS: 2 Jonathan McGill            Sr. 

SS: 23 Isaiah Nwokobia         Jr. 

 

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

Ask a teammate or coach about Jonathan McGill’s best attributes and his ability to anticipate what the opponent will do before the snap is quickly listed. But even the former Stanford Cardinal couldn’t predict the demise of the Pac-12 and that he’d face his former program as an SMU Mustang as conference foes in the ACC. He left Palo Alto after the 2022 season. He’ll return Oct. 19 with the Ponies. 

“I thought it was unfortunate because the Pac-12 had great rivalries and traditions and that’s the best part of college football,” McGill said. “I feel bad for Oregon State and Washington State. I loved playing out there, but I don’t miss the late-night kickoffs.” 

McGill grew up less than 30 miles from SMU in nearby Coppell where he was a four-star prospect in 2019. He remembers the Mustangs' push to reclaim their place as a recruiting power in the Metroplex under Sonny Dykes. He watched from afar as his hometown team began adding players he respected and grew up competing with and against, like quarterback Preston Stone. 

He decided to head west to Stanford, however, for the chance to play Power Five football at a prestigious university. He started 12 times over his first two seasons for the Cardinal before missing most of the 2021 campaign with an injury. McGill started all 12 games in 2022 and was second on the team with 51 tackles. When Stanford head coach David Shaw was fired after the season, McGill faced a choice. 

“I had some West Coast opportunities in the Transfer Portal, but I wanted to try something different,” he said. “Coming home was a bonus, but I wouldn’t say it was the driving force. I picked SMU because I knew the roster and staff could go win a conference championship.” 

He was right. McGill was named a team captain before the season and ended it as a third team All-AAC selection. He was second on the team with nine PBUs and fourth on the squad with 55 tackles, including 5.5 for loss; he also registered an interception. All while the Mustangs won their first conference championship since the 1980s. 

The next mountain to climb on the Hilltop is the ACC. McGill is amongst dozens of players on the roster with Power Five experience. 

“We’re talented enough to win a lot of games in 2024,” he said. “We know what it takes.” 

 

CEILING/FLOOR 

Ceiling – 10-2 

SMU feels like its roster is talented enough to stack up against every program on the schedule except for Florida State and maybe Louisville. The Ponies won’t be favored in 10 games, but they’re good enough to win double digit contests if Preston Stone stays healthy and the trenches handle P4 competition. 

Floor – 5-7 

SMU was winless in three games against P4 competition during its 11-win 2023 season. The jump up in competition is no joke, especially on a week-to-week basis. If the lines of scrimmage don’t hold up, the Mustangs might miss a bowl game. 

 

SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN

Conference home games against Tulsa, Charlotte and Navy were replaced by Florida State, Pitt and Cal. That’s life for SMU as newly-minted members of the ACC. The Pony faithful wanted major college football, and they’re about to see if they should’ve been more careful about what they wished for. The non-conference slate includes games against Big 12 members BYU and TCU. The program’s first-ever P4 conference game is at home against Florida State on Sept. 28 – a week after hosting rival TCU. Three straight road games starting Oct. 19 at Stanford will test SMU’s depth.  

 

2023 SCHEDULE 

DATE                      OPPONENT     RESULT

Sept. 2                  La Tech                 W, 38-14

Sept. 9                  at Oklahoma   L, 28-11

Sept. 16               Prairie View A&M           W, 69-0

Sept. 23               at TCU                   L, 34-17

Sept. 30               Charlotte            W, 34-16

Oct. 12                 at East Carolina             W, 31-10              

Oct. 20                 at Temple           W, 55-0

Oct. 28                 Tulsa     W, 69-10

Nov. 4                    at Rice W, 36-31

Nov. 10                 North Texas      W, 45-21

Nov. 18                 at Memphis      W, 38-34

Nov. 25                 Navy     W, 59-14

Dec. 2                    at Tulane (AAC championship)            W, 26-14

Dec. 28                 Boston College (Fenway Bowl)             L, 23-14

Record: 11-3 (9-0)

 

2024 PREDICTIONS

DATE                      OPPONENT     RESULT

Aug. 24                 at Nevada          W

Aug. 31                 Houston Christian       W

Sept. 6                  BYU        W

Sept. 21               TCU       L

Sept. 28               Florida State    L

Oct. 5                     at Louisville      L

Oct. 19                 at Stanford        W

Oct. 26                 at Duke                 L

Nov. 2                    Pitt          W

Nov. 16                 Boston College               W

Nov. 23                 at Virginia           W

Nov. 30                 Cal         W

Record: 8-4 (5-3)