SMU, Nevada: New Eras, Different Stages

SMU and Nevada will open their 2024 college football seasons at 8 p.m. EST on Aug. 24 at Mackay Stadium in Reno, Nevada.

The Mustangs come in riding momentum from last season's American Athletic Conference championship 26-14 win over then No. 22 Tulane, as they join the Atlantic Coast Conference and return to Power Four football for the first time since being in the now defunct Southwest Conference from 1918-1995 with most of last year's roster intact.

Meanwhile, Nevada begins a new era as head coach Jeff Choate makes his debut after helping lead the Texas Longhorns to the College Football Playoff last season as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. The Wolf Pack have gone 2-10 in each of the last two seasons, so Choate will be trying to generate some positivity for the program with a fast start.

Key Players: Nevada

Offense

QB Brendon Lewis

Lewis beat out former four-star recruit and Florida State transfer Chubba Purdy for Nevada's starting quarterback job. Lewis is a dual threat at the position, throwing for 1,313 yards and ending the year as Nevada's second-leading rusher last season. He also has previous starting experience at Colorado.

RB Savion Red

Texas fans should recognize this name. Red spent two years with the Longhorns as a receiver, running back and wildcat quarterback.

However, he was always buried behind someone on the depth chart. Now, he gets a chance to take a firm hold of the starting job for the Wolf Pack.

WR Cortez Braham Jr

Nevada's passing game can go nowhere but up, and some wide receivers will need to step up. Braham Jr. has played sparingly at the FBS level with West Virginia but was a stand-out junior college player at Hutchinson Community College, He was also the No.3 high school receiver in South Carolina as a recruit.

Defense

LB Drue Watts

The junior linebacker enters his third season with Nevada. Watts has been a starter for the Wolf Pack since his freshman year and was even a Freshman All-American.

He's a team captain and impacts the game in all phases of linebacker play. Watts also led the country in fumble recoveries last season.

DB Kitan Crawford

Crawford follows Choate from Texas, where he was primarily a special teams player. Now with Nevada, the fifth-year senior will get a chance to show what he can do as a permanent fixture on the back end of the defense.

Key Players: SMU

Offense

QBs Preston Stone, Kevin Jennings

Although Stone's 2023 season ended with an injury, he finished among the NCAA's best in passing yards, touchdown passes, passing efficiency and yards per completion. He has been the leader of the offense for two years and seems primed to take another step.

Stone's injury opened the door for Jennings to show what he could do, and the backup helped the Mustangs win a conference championship. He will also get plenty of reps in the season opener and may see extended playing time this season.

TE RJ Maryland

Maryland was a huge part of SMU's potent passing offense last season as the team's second-leading receiver. The tight end made 34 catches for 518 yards (15.2 yards per catch) and had a team-high 7 touchdown catches.

WR Jake Bailey

Bailey led SMU's deep receiving corps last season and looked great throughout the spring. SMU's passing game was elite last season, and, even though it has added more depth to its receiving corps, Bailey should continue to see plenty of targets.

RBs LJ Johnson, Jaylan Knighton

With Camar Wheaton out for the season, Johnson and Knighton further cement themselves as SMU's top backs. The pair combined for over 1,300 yards and 11 touchdowns last season.

Former Miami receiver Brashard Smith is also now listed as a running back on SMU's depth chart.

Defense

DE Elijah Roberts

After three seasons at Miami (FL), Roberts transferred to SMU for the 2023 season and shined as a pass-rusher. He led the team with 10 sacks (2nd in the AAC and 17th in the NCAA) and should continue to produce as the Mustangs added more high-profile transfers alongside him on the defensive front.

S Jonathan McGill

The fifth-year senior has made his mark at SMU since transferring from Stanford. McGill is one of the team's unquestioned leaders in the secondary and has 2 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries and 16 pass breakups in two seasons on the Hilltop. He is also a team captain.

S Isaiah Nwokobia

Nwokobia burst onto the scene in 2023 with four interceptions from his safety spot. He also finished third on the team in tackles and was named the MVP of the AAC Championship game.

LBs Kobe Wilson, Ahmad Walker

Wilson and Walker are listed as the starters at linebacker, just ahead of breakout candidate Alexander Kilgore. Wilson and Walker were the two leading tacklers on last year's squad. Both are in their second year with SMU after transferring from Temple and Liberty respectively.

Trends to Watch

SMU's Quarterback Split

Both Stone and Jennings are expected to see playing time this season for the Mustangs. While a game against a lowly Nevada squad might not be a telling barometer for the rest of the season, it will be interesting to see if the split between the two is the same as it was last season or if Jennings has a bigger role than he's had in the past.

Nevada's Offense

Nevada's offense was putrid last season, scoring just 20 touchdowns all year and averaging around 17 points per game. Its passing game was its worst element by far, only scoring 6 times through the air.

Matt Lubick was hired in April to turn things around and has an experienced quarterback with some new weapons at his disposal. How will the Wolf Pack offense look to start the year and how will it evolve as the season progresses?