2030 Season Preview - SMU Football
Head coach: Nico Augustine (4th year)
Offensive Coordinator: Kwame Aguyei (1st year)
Defensive Coordinator: Griffin McCauley (1st year)
2029 record: 16-0, 8-0 (1st in ACC)
Preseason Ranking: #6
Preseason All-Americans: None
Preseason All-ACC: C Leati Higgins (1st Team)
The Cheeseman Era Rolls On
Everything SMU is and hopes to be still begins and ends with its quarterback. Alonzo Cheeseman, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, chose legacy over leverage, returning to Dallas with the NFL - and the likely number one overall pick - waiting patiently.
The question isn’t whether he’s good enough. It’s whether there’s another gear left to find.
Under second-year offensive coordinator Kwame Aguyei, Cheeseman is operating an offense that feels more deliberate, more punishing, and arguably more mature. He’s no longer just a playmaker - he’s a program driver, asked to manage tempo, protections, and personnel in a way few college quarterbacks ever are.
If SMU is built to last, Cheeseman is the proof point.
The running game is both a strength and a storyline.
Justice Spielman returns as the incumbent, intent on holding onto the lion’s share of carries after emerging as last year’s primary option. Brian Volson, slowed by injury down the stretch in 2029, is back healthy and motivated, hoping to reclaim the form that once made him the engine of the offense well on its way to an 1,000-yard rushing season.
Then there’s Cal McCalebb, who carried SMU through the postseason when injuries mounted, and he enters 2030 determined to show that his College Football Playoff breakout wasn’t the product of catching defenses off guard and being spoon-fed carries. His offseason focus has been on explosiveness and consistency - and coaches have noticed.
Adding fuel to the fire are two of the most intriguing young backs in the country - five-star Avery Knowles and four-star Dwayne Sowells. One is expected to redshirt, but training camp has been a red-hot competition between the two, with Sowells’ vision and Knowles’ raw upside making the decision anything but simple.
Depth won SMU a title last year. It may define this season too.
The wide receiver room takes another step forward with Marquis Avant at the helm. After a second consecutive 1,000-yard season, Avant bypassed the NFL to finish what he started, eyeing a run at the Biletnikoff Trophy as the nation’s best receiver.
He’s flanked by a balanced trio in Tomas Smoker - the offense’s home run threat, Eric DeLuca - the chain-moving specialist, and Kenyon Natson - the 6-foot-4 five-star freshman whose physical traits already stand out.
Behind them, second-year receivers like Bobby Goodspeed and Mustafa Agude are pushing for real roles after flashes late last season, predominantly as return specialists.
It’s a group that may lack a singular superstar beyond Avant - but the versatility of this group, full of players who know their role can pay dividends.
Few teams can match SMU at tight end. Dwayne Kasay, a two-time Mackey Award winner, returns with history in sight. But, the bigger spring revelation was Lionel Davenport, who dominated camp and forced the offense to account for him as a primary weapon rather than a complementary piece.
Together, they form arguably the best one-two punch at the position in college football - a nightmare matchup in an offense increasingly comfortable living between the tackles.
The offensive line remains one of the nation's best, anchored between the tackles by Austin Jasmine at left guard, Leati Higgins at center, and Mitch Slater at right guard.
The addition of David Coco, the four-star transfer tackle from Arkansas State and a holdover from Nico Augustine’s early coaching days, bolsters the unit further.
The one lingering concern is at tackle. Walter Loudermilk and Ethan Whitehead are battling for the final spot, but both struggled the most in limited pressure allowed last season.
Promising? Absolutely. Finished products? Not quite.
Reloading, Not Replacing
There’s no sugarcoating it - the defense is younger, thinner, and less proven than the offense.
Gone are pillars like Armani Medlock, Kevin Lockridge, Thomas McCariens, and Trent Landry, whose departure to Auburn leaves a Landry-sized void up front.
The hope lies in emergence.
Davon Kamara, arriving from LSU, teams with sophomore Jameson Beckner, an All-Freshman ACC selection, to keep the pass rush alive. Inside, Iosefa Funk (6-foot-6, 305 lbs) steps in from Tulsa, pairing with Adrian Fogg to stabilize their elite run defense.
Linebacker responsibilities will fall heavily on Ben Stutz in his final season, Keke Madden, and five-star freshman Eli Nall, who is expected to make an immediate impact.
In the secondary, Jamerson Cotton arrives from Utah State to take over as CB1, making SMU’s third consecutive season with a new top cornerback (going from Marcellus Barnes Jr. to Manu Hook, and now Cotton). The scheme should lean more toward zone coverage this year, reducing the blitz-heavy approach of 2029.
At safety, the surprise of the offseason was Esteban Brewer, the reigning Jim Thorpe Award winner, returning for another year. He pairs with strong safety Larry Tu’ikolovatu, though don’t be surprised if elite recruits Taylor Stick or Alex Longoria carve out meaningful roles early.
SMU doesn’t look like a one-year wonder. It looks like a program transitioning from arrival to residency among college football’s elite.
The offense is championship-caliber. The defense is evolving. And the expectations are no longer theoretical.
2030 TEAM SCHEDULE
| Week | Opponent | Last Year |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | OFF | -- |
| 1 | vs  #1 Alabama |
(14-2, 8-0) |
| 2 | at  #11 Texas |
(9-4, 6-2) |
| 3 | vs  #14 TCU |
(11-3, 7-1) |
| 4 | at  North Carolina |
(8-5, 5-3) |
| 5 | vs  Auburn |
(8-5, 4-4) |
| 6 | at  #3 Pittsburgh |
(12-4, 6-2) |
| 7 | at  Virginia Tech |
(5-7, 2-6) |
| 8 | OFF | -- |
| 9 | vs  Boston College |
(7-6, 4-4) |
| 10 | at  Memphis |
(3-9, 1-7) |
| 11 | vs  Tulane |
(5-7, 3-5) |
| 12 | vs  Georgia Tech |
(7-6, 3-5) |
| 13 | OFF | -- |
| 14 | vs  Wake Forest |
(3-9, 1-7) |
OT David Coco vs 
EDGE Kalen Thurman
(6:11) Dion Ervin, 57-yard run (Dillon Vernon kick) [SMU 0 - 7 BAMA]
(4:21) Justice Spielman, 3-yard run (Miguel Benitez kick) [SMU 7 - 7 BAMA]
Clemson brutalizes Missouri in ranked matchup behind Kenya Granger's 138 rushing yards and three scores on the ground
Oklahoma slips past Ohio State in huge opening week victory
HB James Byard, Jr » 12 carries, 79 rushing yards, 6.6 AVG, 1 catch, 13 receiving yards
QB Ben Brown, Rs Sr » 355 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 63% CMP, 176.3 QB RTG
WR Jason Gage, Rs So » 1 catch, 13 receiving yards
QB Trevor Sorenson, Rs Sr » 287 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 57% CMP, 154.3 QB RTG, 31 rushing yards
WR J.D. Bee, Rs So » 7 catches, 62 receiving yards, 8.9 AVG, 2 touchdowns
WR DeSean Teague (Arkansas): 11 catches, 187 receiving yards, 4 touchdowns
CB Jay Baggs (Georgia): 3 tackles, 2 interceptions, touchdown
CB Marco Viera (West Virginia): 3 tackles, 2 interceptions, 2 pass breakups
