Kevin Jennings QB SMU | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Kevin Jennings QB SMU
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| PLAY STYLE: Mobile Pocket Passer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 05/11/2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.60 seconds (90%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| PLAY STYLE: Mobile Pocket Passer | |
| Last Updated: 05/11/2025 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| 40 time: 4.60 seconds (90%*) | |
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SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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| Overall Rating: | 81.0 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
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73% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Release Speed: |
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76% |
| Short Passing: |
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77% |
| Medium Passing: |
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82% |
| Long Passing: |
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87% |
| Rush/Scramble: |
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60% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
6th
Overall Rank:
#197
Position rank:
#17
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| College Games: 24 College Snaps: 1190 | ||
ESPN RATING: 74/100
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247 RATING: 82/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.5 (90%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Jake Haener - Fresno State |
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82% |
| Jordan Travis - Florida State |
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75% |
| Sam Hartman - Notre Dame |
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69% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Dallas-bred Kevin Jennings enters his redshirt junior season as one of the most intriguing quarterback prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft. The hometown hero who led South Oak Cliff to the first state title by a Dallas ISD school since the legendary Dallas Carter teams, Jennings arrived at SMU with zero FBS offers beyond the Mustangs. After patiently developing through a redshirt season and backup duty, Jennings seized control of the starting job four games into 2024 and never looked back, orchestrating SMU's improbable ACC Championship and College Football Playoff appearance in their inaugural conference season.The former three-star recruit's ascent from obscurity to ACC star carried SMU to unexpected heights, finishing with 3,245 passing yards and 23 touchdowns while adding 354 rushing yards and five scores on the ground in 2024. His signature moments came in pressure situations - engineering a 42-16 dismantling of Florida State, a 400+ yard road performance at Louisville, and most impressively, the fourth-quarter comeback in the ACC Championship where he accounted for four total touchdowns after trailing by 17 points. Through two collegiate seasons, Jennings has compiled 13 starts with 3,863 passing yards, 28 touchdowns through the air, and six rushing scores.
Despite struggling with inconsistency in SMU's playoff defeat against Penn State (throwing multiple unforced interceptions that directly led to Nittany Lion touchdowns), Jennings chose to return for the 2025 season rather than enter the draft. With five key receivers graduating, he faces the challenge of building chemistry with a rebuilt pass-catching corps while refining the raw tools that have NFL scouts intrigued. His continued development this season will be crucial in determining whether he can overcome questions about his physical dimensions and processing speed at the next level.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Possesses exceptional twitch as an athlete, creating explosive second-reaction plays when protection collapses with rare stop-start agility in tight quarters.
- Demonstrates high-end rotational torque when driving boundary throws, generating significant velocity without needing perfect mechanics or platform.
- Shows natural pocket feel and spatial awareness beyond his experience level, maintaining throwing posture while navigating traffic like a veteran.
- Creates throwing windows from multiple arm slots when extending plays, showing elite arm elasticity that allows him to generate velocity without traditional base.
- Excels in intermediate windows (10-19 yards), delivering laser beams on seam routes and crossers that hit receivers in stride between zone defenders.
- Displays rare lateral quickness as a scrambler, making the first man miss consistently and turning broken plays into chunk gains with natural elusiveness.
- Processes blitz concepts at an advanced level, recognizing pressure packages pre-snap and attacking vacated zones with decisive throws.
- Elevates his play in critical situations, showing clutch gene with significantly improved execution in high-leverage moments and championship environments.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Severely undersized with concerning frame limitations at 189 pounds, raising serious questions about durability against NFL punishment over a full season.
- Still developing as a full-field processor, showing hesitation working through progression sequences when initial read is covered.
- Demonstrates inconsistent ball placement on routine throws, particularly on underneath concepts where precision should be automatic.
- Height limitations (6'0") create visibility challenges, leading to batted passes at the line and missed opportunities in the middle of the field.
- Relies too heavily on athleticism to create off-script rather than working within structure, potentially limiting scheme versatility at next level.
Scouting Report: Summary
Entering the 2025 season, Jennings brings a tantalizing package of physical tools that has NFL offensive coordinators making extra trips to Dallas. The arm talent jumps off the tape - he can make throws from platforms and arm angles that most QBs wouldn't attempt. What separates him is how he handles pressure, showing almost preternatural ability to feel the rush without seeing it and create escape routes where none exist.His production in 2025 will determine whether he can climb into Day 2 consideration. The ideal landing spot would be a play-action heavy system that utilizes designed movement and half-field reads to maximize his exceptional velocity while minimizing his height limitations. Teams will need patience as he develops the processing framework needed for NFL success, but the physical tools are undeniable. Think a more explosive version of Tyler Huntley with significantly better arm talent and natural playmaking instincts.
The electric ceiling is obvious, but Jennings currently profiles as a developmental prospect who will need at least a season of NFL coaching before competing for meaningful snaps. His elite traits (arm elasticity, second-reaction creation, blitz recognition) currently project him as a late Day 3 selection who could rise significantly with improved decision-making in 2025. Teams will view him as a high-upside QB3 who could develop into a dynamic spot starter or quality backup with scheme-specific value if he shows growth in his final collegiate season.
How other scouting services rate Kevin Jennings (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
151.5
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
13.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.