Todd, who has won two more state championships at SOC, including the 2025 5A Division II state title, said Monday during the Texas High School Coaches Association’s annual convention and coaching school that SMU coach Rhett Lashlee took a chance on Jennings.
“He actually came to the Lovejoy game [in December 2021] and said he wanted to check him out,” Todd said. “A lot of coaches say that, but when he left that game, he was like ‘Coach, we’re going to offer that kid. Tell him he’s got an offer from SMU.’”
When Jennings arrived at SMU, he entered a quarterback battle with former Parish Episcopal quarterback Preston Stone.
“Preston Stone had a lot of ties to SMU and Coach Rhett actually went out on a limb and went with who he thought was the better guy, and it seems like it’s paying off,” Todd said.
The South Oak Cliff product, in his final season of eligibility, is one of the top returning quarterbacks in the nation. Jennings has the most career passing yards for a returning ACC quarterback and the fifth-most career passing yards for a returning Power Four quarterback.
SMU recently launched a Heisman campaign for Jennings dubbed “K7NG OF DALLAS.”
“I’m really proud of him because he’s probably one of the few kids that I’ve coached [who can] handle that success because he’s so humble,” Todd said. “If it was me personally, I’d probably be walking around SMU with a big coat on driving a Bentley or something. I probably wouldn’t be able to handle the success that he’s had.
“But he’s a humble kid and he’s done nothing but great things since he led us to the state championship, and like they say, he’s the King of Dallas.”