SMU Mustangs: CFN College Football Preview 2021

College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the SMU season with what you need to know.

College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the SMU season with what you need to know.


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
Top Players | Keys To The Season
What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
SMU Schedule Analysis
– SMU Mustangs Previews
2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

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2020 Record: 7-3 overall, 4-3 in AAC
Head Coach: Sonny Dykes, 4th year, 23-14 overall
2020 CFN Final Ranking: 64
2020 CFN Preview Ranking: 88
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 28

SMU Mustangs College Football Preview 2021: Offense

The offense keeps on rolling. Head coach Sonny Dykes and offensive coordinator Garrett Riley found the groove last year with the attack averaging close to 500 yards and 39 points per game. There’s balance, consistency, and enough explosion keep things moving in a variety of ways.

Eight starters are back, but two are gone off the offensive line and QB Shane Buechele has to be replaced. Neither area is much of a concern, with the quarterback situation full of strong options.

Preston Stone was a huge recruit who might push for the gig right away, sophomore Derek Green is coming off a strong spring, and Oklahoma transfer Tanner Mordecai could take the job and run away with it. It’s a good situation, but it’ll take a little more time.

The receiving corps is terrific. All-star tight end Kylen Granson is done, but the Mustangs are bringing in three outstanding options in the transfer portal, starting with Grant Calcaterra who caught 41 passes and scored nine times at Oklahoma.

The top three wide receivers are back, led by top target Rashee Rice coming off a 48-catch season, and with Reggie Roberson averaging close to 22 yards per grab.

The passing game might be splashy, but the running backs put up huge numbers in this attack. Ulysses Bentley has 1,000-yard back potential and should push for double-digit touchdowns again – he ran for 11 last season – but he won’t carry the load alone with Tre Siggers coming in from North Texas.

They’ll all work behind a decent offensive line that knows how to get the job done. It’s not going to blast away, but the group of veterans – all five starters are expected to be back – know how to work within the system. Tackle Jaylon Thomas and guard Hayden Howerton are two of the best in the American Athletic Conference.

– What You Need To Know: Defense
Top Players | Keys To The Season
What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
SMU Schedule Analysis

NEXT: SMU Mustangs College Football Preview 2021: Defense

College Football News Preview 2020: SMU Mustangs

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the SMU Mustangs season with what you need to know.

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the SMU Mustangs season with what you need to know.


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
Schedule Analysis
– SMU Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

2019 Record: 10-3 overall, 6-2 in
Head Coach: Sonny Dykes, 3rd year, 15-11 overall
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 46
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 28
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 84

5. College Football News Preview 2020: SMU Mustangs Offense 3 Things To Know

– The SMU offense that was good under head coach Sonny Dykes ramped things up a bit last year. QB Shane Buechele came over from Texas and rocked the passing attack from the start, the receiving corps was terrific, and Xavier Jones was a machine for the ground attack. A whole slew of the key parts are gone, but nothing stops. The system is sound, the coaching staff knows how to generate production, and Buechele is back.


CFN in 60 Video: SMU Mustangs Preview
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– The passing attack went from 3,260 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2019 to 4,017 yards and 35 scores last year. There were more big plays downfield, but star target James Proche is now gone after making 204 grabs with 27 scores over the last two seasons. However, Reggie Roberson is back after missing the second half of last year with a foot injury, and tight end Kylen Granson has all-star talent coming off a 43-catch, 721-yard, nine-touchdown season. The air show continues, and it might have to do more, because …

Xavier Jones and Ke’Mon Freeman are gone from the backfield. The two combined for close to 1,800 rushing yards with Jones scoring 23 touchdowns on the ground. Sophomore TJ McDaniel should be the next man up, but it’s an all-underclassmen running back group that will likely operate in a rotation for a bit.

On the plus side, the offensive line should be terrific. Four starters are expected back, starting with left tackle Jaylon Thomas. Give credit to the offensive system that gets the ball out of the quarterback’s hands in a hurry, but also give some love to a line that was just that good, allowing the fewest sacks in the conference.

NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: SMU Mustangs Defense 3 Things To Know