SMU Mustangs 2026 Preview
The College Football Experience (@TCEonSGPN) on the Sports Gambling Podcast Network continues its 138 college football team preview series with the SMU Mustangs 2026 Season Preview. Pick Dundee aka (@TheColbyD) & Ryan McIntyre (@Moneyline_Mac) break down the 2026 SMU Mustangs roster and what to expect in the ACC this season. Can Rhett Lashlee push his 38-16 run in Dallas to another double-digit-win season in year five? Does Kevin Jennings turn a 3,641-yard, 26-touchdown 2025 into a real Heisman push?
Was 9-4 a fair read on this roster, or should the Mustangs have banked two or three more wins from four one-score games? Can coordinator Rob Likens keep an offense that finished 31st in total offense rolling with Jennings back under center? Which returning weapons pick up the slack around him? Does a defense that ranked 89th in total defense and a rough 135th against the pass get fixed under co-coordinators Maurice Crum and Ricky Hunley? How does a 2026 schedule that opens at Florida State and closes at Notre Dame set up? And where’s the betting value on the SMU Mustangs win total, ACC odds and College Football Playoff chances? We talk it all and more on this episode of The College Football Experience.
Rhett Lashlee Keeps SMU In The ACC Race
The SMU Mustangs 2026 preview opens on the coach who turned Dallas into a winner. First, Rhett Lashlee sits at 38-16 across his SMU tenure, so the guys frame him as one of the best hires in the sport. Because of that track record, the hot-seat card reads a cool 1 out of 10 heading into year five. Then the crew digs into how Lashlee keeps out-recruiting the league on a smaller budget. They also weigh whether the Arkansas rumors ever had a real shot at pulling him away from the Mustangs.
The résumé only looks better when you replay last fall. To open, SMU finished 9-4 in 2025 and stayed in the ACC title race into November. Then the guys walk through the losses, because three of them came down to the wire. Baylor slipped away 48-45, Wake Forest stung 13-12, and Cal edged the Mustangs 38-35 on the road. From there the crew argues this roster was a play or two from an 11-win season. Finally they set the bar for 2026 against a program that now expects to contend.
The Offense And Kevin Jennings’ Heisman Case
The offense arrives with real firepower and a new voice calling it. First, SMU ranked 13th in passing offense and 27th in scoring last season, so the passing game already travels. Then coordinator Rob Likens inherits a unit that finished 31st in total offense in 2025. Because the run game lagged at 95th, the guys flag that balance as the one box left to check. Meanwhile roughly 66% of the offensive production returns, so Likens is not starting over. From there the crew maps how this group climbs from good to genuinely dangerous.
At quarterback the guys love what returns. Kevin Jennings is back as a redshirt senior after a huge 2025 campaign. He threw for 3,641 yards with 26 touchdowns and a 70.0 QBR last fall. That production gives Likens a proven starter, so the room does not rebuild. Next the crew weighs whether Jennings trims the 13 interceptions and pushes into the Heisman conversation. They also break down the weapons around him that have to replace lost snaps. Because continuity matters, this offense could sit among the best in the ACC.
The Co-Coordinator Defensive Reload
The defense carries the bigger question on this roster. First, SMU finished 89th in total defense and a rough 135th against the pass in 2025, so the secondary tops the to-do list. Then co-coordinators Maurice Crum and Ricky Hunley take over a unit with clear splits. Because the run defense actually ranked 19th, the front is closer than the overall numbers suggest. Meanwhile the scoring defense landed 31st, so the group bent without fully breaking. From there the guys ask whether the back end catches up to the front seven.
The portal is where this rebuild gets interesting. To open, roughly 58% of the defensive production returns, so the coaches keep a core in place. Then they layer in transfer additions across all three levels to raise the talent floor. Because the ACC throws explosive passing attacks at you weekly, that secondary work has to hit. Next the guys weigh the returning starters against the churn on the back end. They also stress that a healthier pass defense is how SMU steals a close game or two. Finally the crew projects real improvement on this side of the ball.
The 2026 ACC Schedule And Win Total
The 2026 slate opens with a gut check and never really eases up. First, SMU travels to Florida State in Week 1, so the guys start with a marquee ACC road test. Then the schedule settles with UC Davis, Louisville, Missouri State and Boston College before the bye. From there the crew hits the Virginia, Cal and Syracuse stretch that swings the standings. Next come Virginia Tech and Wake Forest, two games the Mustangs should be favored to win. Finally the road trip to Notre Dame and a home date with Stanford close the regular season.
Then they close it out where the betting value lives. The SMU Mustangs win total sits at 8.5 games, so the guys dig into that number hard. First they weigh a 9-4 team against a schedule with only one true road landmine. Then they get into the ACC odds at +700 and the +430 College Football Playoff price. Because Jennings and the passing game travel, both hosts lean toward the over on that win total. From there they hand you the read they trust on the Mustangs heading into the fall.
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Podcast Chapters
00:00 Download the SGPN App Today!
01:41 Welcome To The SMU Preview & The Texas Arms Race
08:17 2025 Recap: Nine And Four & Program History
14:14 Arkansas Rumors & Rhett Lashlee’s ACC Dominance
18:24 Offense: OC Committee & Kevin Jennings’ Heisman Case
28:14 Defense: Co-DCs & The Transfer Portal Reload
31:27 Tailgate Report & Mustang Nation Bars
32:53 Ford Stadium History, Program Legends & Playoff Ceiling
39:49 2026 Schedule: Week 1 Through The Regular Season
48:44 Locking In The Win Total & ACC Odds
54:10 Who Should Be On The Schedule
57:36 Sign-Off & Texas A&M Preview Tease
