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Kevin Jennings shouts out Nick Saban for praise

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh07/22/25griffin_mcveigh
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Oct 19, 2024; Stanford, California, USA; Southern Methodist Mustangs quarterback Kevin Jennings (7) throws a pass against the Stanford Cardinal during the first quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

SMU‘s run to the College Football Playoff may have gone a little under the radar last season. But somebody who was paying attention to the Mustangs was Nick Saban. The now-ESPN College GameDay personality was particularly high on quarterback Kevin Jennings and what he brought to the table.

Jennings had an opportunity to react to Saban’s comments, even if it was a few months ago. He decided to shout out the former Alabama head coach for the praise before stating the goal in Dallas is to take things one step further.

“Big shoutout to Nick Saban for mentioning that,” Jennings said at ACC Football Kickoff. “I think we had a really good season last year. It didn’t end how we wanted it to end, but I think this upcoming year, our end goal is to win it all, win the conference championship. That would be a good season for me.”

Nov. 2 is when Saban spoke on Jennings with a little length on College GameDay. He called the SMU signal caller one of the more underrated players in the country. This was just a week after SMU escaped Duke with a victory and hours ahead of a home game against Pitt.

“I think they’re gonna get challenged today because SMU’s quarterback, Kevin Jennings, may be the most underrated player in the country,” Saban said when talking about Pitt’s defense. “This guy leads the ACC in passing efficiency. All these good quarterbacks we talk about in the ACC, he’s been the most productive and he’s a dual-threat guy and he can beat you run and pass.” 

Jennings went on to immediately prove Saban correct against Pitt with one of his better days. He threw for 306 yards and two touchdowns while completing 17 of 25 passes. SMU cruised to a double-digit victory in front of the home fans as well, 48-25.

In total, Jennings threw for 3,245 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Head coach Rhett Lashlee believes another level can come out of his quarterback, helping SMU back up what they did in Year 1 of the ACC. Expectations are going to be taken to a new level.

Hopefully, Saban having kind words for the quarterback will only help build his national profile. And based on his response, Jennings is thankful for the support. It was certainly warranted at the time and only grew as the 2025 season rolled on.