Kevin Jennings Makes the Golden Arm Award Top 15 as SMU's Record-Setting Quarterback Rests Up for Virginia

Pony Up. The Mustangs don't play this Saturday, but their quarterback is still picking up hardware buzz.

Kevin Jennings is one of 15 quarterbacks still in the running for the 2026 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, the foundation announced this week, cutting down an original 27-player watch list. SMU's release says Jennings ranks first in the ACC and third nationally in both total passing yards (1,588) and passing yards per game (317.6). He's also third in the conference and fifth in the country with a 75% completion rate, and he's guided SMU to a 4-1 start.

The South Oak Cliff product already owns SMU's career records for total offense (9,925), completions (742), touchdowns responsible for (81) and passing yards (9,297). Among active FBS quarterbacks, SMU says he's eighth in total offense, seventh in touchdowns responsible for and sixth in passing yards. The foundation singled him out in its announcement, saying Jennings "has continued to add to his own place in the Mustangs' record book."

He's in good company. The Top 15 also includes Texas' Arch Manning, Georgia's Gunner Stockton, Oregon's Dante Moore, Ohio State's Julian Sayin, Houston's Conner Weigman, Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker and Notre Dame's CJ Carr. Circle Carr, because SMU closes the regular season with road games at Notre Dame and Stanford, per Roundtable. The field will be cut again before finalists are named, and the winner will be honored in Baltimore on Dec. 9.

The award news comes during a bye the offense needed. In the 25-16 win over Boston College, Jennings went 20-of-30 with two touchdown passes and no interceptions, but SMU managed just 218 total yards, 58 on the ground, and 3.5 yards per play in the rain, per Roundtable's Timothy Hamm. Through the first four games, SMU had averaged more than 500 yards a game. Getting the run game going is the top bye-week job, Hamm writes, along with getting healthy before a demanding back half.

SMU (4-1, 2-1 ACC) hosts Virginia on Oct. 17 at 11 a.m. Central on The CW, per On3, followed by Cal, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. Keep up on the SMU Football page. Radio question: is Kevin Jennings the best quarterback in the ACC right now?

Sources: SMU Athletics — Jennings among Top 15 for Golden Arm Award; Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award — 2026 Top 15 announced; Roundtable — SMU has clear bye-week priorities; On3 — Game time, TV set for SMU vs. Virginia.