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DALLAS -- SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings has a jammed finger on his throwing hand that will limit him in fall camp for the next week or two, though there are no concerns about his availability for the season opener.
Coach Rhett Lashlee said Monday, four weeks before the Mustangs open at Florida State on Sept. 7, that Jennings will have plenty of time to prepare and be ready for that Atlantic Coast Conference game in prime time on the Labor Day holiday weekend.
"There's no issues. It's just a really bad jam," Lashlee said after practice. "We actually got a really good report this morning. There's no long-term effects."
Jennings jammed his finger in a door in the locker room on Friday.
SMU this summer launched a Heisman Trophy campaign for Jennings, who is 19-7 as the starter. The title of the "K7NG OF DALLAS" campaign is a nod to the city where the school is located and where Jennings was born and grew up, plus the two-time captain's jersey number.
Jennings has thrown for 7,709 yards and 55 touchdowns in 39 games overall for the Mustangs, and led them to the College Football Playoff in 2024 in their ACC debut. He completed 300 of 454 passes (66.1%) for 3,641 yards and 26 touchdowns last season.
Redshirt freshman Ty Hawkins, who completed his only pass and ran three times last season, is getting to work with the first-team offense in camp.
Familiar face
LOS ANGELES -- Former NFL quarterback Derek Carr has joined UCLA's coaching staff as a special adviser to new head coach Bob Chesney.
The Bruins announced the hiring Monday of the 35-year-old Carr, who is volunteering in his first major coaching role.
The longtime Raiders starter will help Chesney and the Bruins' offensive staff with game planning and strategy, and he will work with UCLA's quarterbacks.
"His experience, leadership and football knowledge will be an incredible resource for our coaching staff and student-athletes," Chesney said in a statement. "What stands out most is his passion for the game and his commitment to developing young people. Derek will have a tremendous impact on our players and is a great addition to our program."
Chesney and his staff are in their first season in Westwood after he was hired away from James Madison last December. Carr's connection to the job was through Bruins general manager Darrick Yray, an offensive assistant and an assistant director of football operations at Fresno State during Carr's prolific career with the Bulldogs.
Everything's fine
BATON ROUGE, La. -- New LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt has been taking first-team snaps in practice drills and offering assurances that his 2025 foot injury is no longer a matter of concern.
Leavitt says he's been 100 percent for the past few months and doesn't think about his surgically repaired foot when he's on the field. LSU coach Lane Kiffin says Leavitt is having a great first week of fall practice and that the Tigers' staff excited about what they've seen from the 21-year-old transfer QB from Arizona State.
Leavitt is coming back from a foot injury that ended his season last October. Leavitt was one of the stars of Arizona State's 2024 College Football Playoff team that won the Big 12 before losing to Texas in the national quarterfinals.
One more year
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Arizona running back Ismail Mahdi and linebacker Max Harris have rejoined the team following a court ruling granting Class of 2022 athletes an extra year of eligibility.
Arizona announced Monday the two players were beginning to integrate into the team's preseason activities. Their return comes after U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney in Colorado granted an extra year of eligibility to athletes who began college careers in the 2022-23 season and completed four seasons of eligibility.
Mahdi was Arizona's leading rusher last season, with 853 yards and four touchdowns. Harris was an All-Big 12 honorable mention selection last season after finishing with 78 tackles, including 3.5 for loss.