SMU's Kevin Jennings gets key injury update ahead of Week 1

SMU Mustangs quarterback Kevin Jennings. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

SMU's Kevin Jennings gets key injury update ahead of Week 1

By Matt Wadleigh | Last updated Aug 20, 2026 12:14 PM ET

The first FBS game of the 2026 college football season will be Bill Belichick and North Carolina facing TCU on Saturday, Aug. 29, in Dublin, Ireland.

Only a handful of teams will play in Week 0 before everyone takes the field in Week 1. However, some teams are already dealing with key injuries, and the SMU Mustangs are one of them. SMU is ranked No. 19 in the preseason poll, and the Mustangs are hoping to make some noise in the ACC and try to get back to the College Football Playoff.

Kevin Jennings dealing with injury ahead of opener

Meanwhile, star quarterback Kevin Jennings is dealing with a jammed index finger that might limit him for the opener against Florida State.

On Thursday, Brett McMurphy of On3 gave an update on the Jennings injury, with one source telling him that the SMU QB "looked great" during 7-on-7 drills.

SMU QB Kevin Jennings continues progressing from a jammed index finger on his throwing hand. On Wednesday, he went thru 7 on 7 drills, throwing 4 straight TDs. “He looked great,” source told @On3. Jennings has not shown any lingering effects from the injury & should be ready for…
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 20, 2026

Jennings is beginning his fifth season at SMU and his third as the starting QB. In 2025, he threw for a career-high 3,641 yards, 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, leading SMU to a 9-4 record and a Holiday Bowl win over the Arizona Wildcats.

If Jennings can't go for some reason, it would be either Charlie Fiser or Ty Hawkins, although Jennings has shown time and time again that he can battle through injuries. SMU opens things up on the road against Florida State on Monday, Sept. 7, in a huge game that will also be aired on ESPN.

Matt Wadleigh

Matt Wadleigh is based in California and born and raised in the San Diego area. He studied print journalism at Fresno State for college and got to watch Paul George, Derek Carr and Davante Adams play in a Bulldogs uniform. His work has been featured at ClutchPoints, Sportscasting, Sporting News, and various USA Today sites, including UCLA Wire, where he was the first managing editor

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