SMU Football Team QB Drops Bold Proposal for WR Spot Amid ACC Media Days

The SMU football team is entering its first season in the ACC. Quarterback Preston Stone made a rather bold statement during the Mustangs’ first round of interviews at ACC kickoff on Monday, via the ACC Network.

“I think we have the best reception hall in the conference,” Stone said.

Preston Stone hopes to start his inaugural ACC season strong

Stone was one of the nation’s top quarterbacks last season, thriving in head coach Rhett Lashlee’s offense. The redshirt junior caught the attention of the college football world with his performance, throwing for nearly 3,200 yards and 28 touchdowns during SMU’s 11-3 season. That mark included a perfect 8-0 record in league play, a feat the Mustangs will look to repeat as they head into their first season in the ACC.

Additionally, Stone’s passing efficiency rating of 161.3 was one of the best in the country. The signal-caller explained the reasoning behind that number during Monday’s interview.

“It’s a really fun aspect of our offense,” Stone said. “We take a lot of shots, so I think it’ll be fun for the ACC to see how many shots we take this year.”

Kevin Jennings, another Mustangs quarterback, also got plenty of playing time last year, especially after Stone broke his fibula. In eight games played, he passed for 618 yards and five touchdowns, with a passing efficiency rating of 119.4.

Both quarterbacks discussed the offense as a whole, particularly the skills each possesses. While they are different in how they play the position, Stone and Jennings are eager to show the ACC exactly what their offense can do.

SMU football team has a strong receiving core

Five members of the Mustangs’ receiving room topped 400 receiving yards last season (Jake Bailey, RJ Maryland, Jordan Hudson, Romello Brinson and Kelvontay Dixon), with a sixth member in Key’Shawn Smith nearly reaching that mark as well (392 total receiving yards). Maryland and Hudson led the team with seven touchdown receptions each, becoming two of Stone and Jennings’ favorite targets.

Although Maryland and Dixon have left the program, the other four are returning for at least one more season. Hudson could potentially be back for two seasons, as he enters his third year. Brinson and Smith are seniors, while Bailey is now a graduate student.

Regardless of their experience level, the stats speak for themselves. This is a group of players that consistently made plays last season. If they can do that this season, then maybe the Mustangs can win the ACC title in their very first season in one of the best conferences in the country.