In transfer era of college football, Kevin Jennings' SMU legacy is one of loyalty, respect

They have to recruit their own roster all over again.

The transfer portal gives players a chance to chase more playing time, more money or a better fit. And for the best players, there is rarely a shortage of programs willing to make a pitch.

Over the last five years, SMU has been confident its quarterback Kevin Jennings would be back.

That's because entering his third and final season as SMU's starting quarterback, Jennings, 22, has proven to possess a trait that can be just as valuable to a college football program as a powerful arm or elite football IQ.

Loyalty.

Programs with bigger names and deeper trophy cases came calling with enticing offers, according to his father, Michael Jennings.

"It's been all kinds of money — $5 million, $6 million, lake house, all kinds of stuff thrown at him," he said. "He never wanted to leave SMU. Most kids would've left to make more money. Kev just wanted to make a legacy in Dallas."

While many of the nation's top quarterbacks have already made their way through multiple schools, Jennings has spent his entire college career building a legacy at the school just 13 miles from where he grew up.

"When you know Kev, you know his character, so you know you have a shot to keep him," said SMU safeties coach Kyle Ward, who also coached Kevin in high school as defensive coordinator at South Oak Cliff. "A lot of the things that other people will offer or try to do have nothing to do with relationships. The things that he prioritized kind of outweigh the other stuff."

That bond built over half a decade between Kevin and SMU already has produced plenty.

Jennings has led the Mustangs to an ACC Championship Game and a College Football Playoff appearance. This season, he is poised to climb SMU's record books, needing 1,373 passing yards to break Ben Hicks' career record of 9,081 and 18 touchdown passes to break Tanner Mordecai's career mark of 72.

He also returns with the fifth-most career passing yards for a returning Power Four quarterback and the most in the ACC. Most of the players ahead of him, like Indiana's Josh Hoover, Penn State's Rocco Becht and USC's Jayden Maiava have left their first school for a transfer portal destination.

Jennings has one year remaining to solidify his legacy that'll have only one school and one city tied to it.

"He's still writing his legacy," Lashlee said. "Luckily, we've got a whole year left. There's still a lot to be written."

Where Jennings' loyalty comes from

Sherry Henry and Michael Jennings were young parents. They were in college and both just 19 years old when they had Kevin.

They used to go back and forth about what their son's first word would be. Sherry hoped it would be "mom." Michael was sure it would be "dad."

"He pointed at her and called her 'ball,'" Michael said. "Then, he pointed at me and called me, 'ball.' That's all he wanted to do was play football."

Sherry and Michael remember being kids themselves, younger than their son is today. They did their best and taught what they knew. For Michael, who was a defensive end at Texas A&M Commerce, that was football. But for both, loyalty to their community and each other became a core value passed onto their son.

"We just always tried to instill those values in Kevin — what's important and what makes a good character," Henry said.

The two are no longer together but still consider themselves "best of friends," as Michael put it.

"We big on relationships," he said. "We big on loyalty and respect."

Kevin showed that long before he arrived at SMU.

Michael remembers when Kevin had to call Missouri State where he had originally committed as a senior to decommit once his offer from SMU came around.

"He cried so hard," Michael said. "That's what kind of person Kev is. If he gives you his word, he's gonna stand on his word. He wanted to go to SMU, but he didn't want to let anybody down that believed in him."

That's ultimately why Kevin feels so loyal to SMU and Lashlee.

The quarterback, who led his team to a state championship as a senior, didn't have any Power Five offers out of high school. SMU, Missouri State, Sam Houston, East Texas A&M (formerly Texas A&M-Commerce) and Lamar were the only schools to offer him.

Lashlee attended South Oak Cliff's playoff game against Lovejoy in December 2021, not even with the intention of recruiting Jennings. He went to watch Lovejoy wide receiver Jaxson Lavender and cornerback Jayden Lawton, both of whom ultimately signed with SMU.

But he saw something in the quarterback few others did and offered him a scholarship the next day. Kevin committed within a week.

"Coming out of high school, I didn't have nothing really," Kevin said. "Lashlee came and showed that loyalty to me, got me when nobody else wanted me and brought me in. I want to show that to Lashlee and the SMU Mustangs."

Growing into SMU's leader for one final run

As Kevin gears up for his final season of eligibility, he's starting to feel his age.

"I'm lowkey feeling a little bit older, not gonna lie," he said on the first day of SMU's fall camp. "All the young guys coming in and calling me 'unc' now."

It's a stark contrast from the quarterback who arrived on SMU's campus five years ago.

He's become a better decision-maker. He's put on 30 pounds of muscle, including 15 since the end of last season. He's a far more vocal leader, too.

South Oak Cliff helped Kevin find his voice. Ward and head coach Jason Todd pushed the quiet, softspoken quarterback to lead, putting more responsibility on his shoulders as he led South Oak Cliff to win Dallas ISD's first recognized state title in football since 1958 as a senior in 2021.

His coaches who knew him in high school say they've only seen his voice develop further at SMU.

"He's a social butterfly now," Ward said. "It's cool to see him be totally opposite from when I met him and for him to definitely have grown into himself."

But as much as Jennings has changed, Todd and Ward say the things that matter most about him haven't.

"When you have that type of success and that type of money coming to you, a lot of times it can change you and you can get away from the roots of who you are," Todd said. "But he's the person that always has been well-grounded and just a humble kid. He's the same way he was when he was at South Oak Cliff. He's just on a bigger stage now."

Kevin enters this season on the biggest stage yet. SMU has launched a Heisman campaign dubbed "K7NG OF DALLAS" in his honor, seeking to make the quarterback its first Heisman winner since Doak Walker in 1948. It also announced this summer that it's building the Kevin Jennings Recovery Center, becoming likely the only program in the nation to name a campus facility after an active player.

His mother struggles to get the words out without tearing up when asked about all the opportunities coming her son's way.

"There's no words to explain the joy that you feel as a parent to see your child accomplish so many amazing things," Henry said. "It's definitely an honor to be able to say that's my son."

But his road isn't done yet.

The defining moment of his high school career came during his senior season — when he showed the city, state and colleges across the region that he could lead a team to the highest level.

Those who know him best feel his final year at SMU could look similar.

"He's capable of winning the Heisman Trophy and the national championship," Ward said. "He's arguably the best player in the country. I think the stage is set for him to go out and make sure everybody in the country knows it, not just Dallas."

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