SMU Football Starting Lineup Today: Who's starting for Mustangs against Nevada in CFB Week 0 matchup?

College football is back, and SMU will begin by taking on Nevada in a Week 0 matchup on Saturday at Mackay Stadium. This will be the first time this season fans will see which players get the starting roles. After accumulating an impressive 11-3 record and a bowl game victory last season, the Mustangs have high expectations coming into the 2024 season. So, who will be in their starting lineup?

SMU Football starting lineup

Starting lineups can change right up until the start of the game based on a variety of factors. That said, based on the depth chart of SMU, it is not hard to get a good idea of who will be starting on offense for the school today. There is not much turnover for the Mustangs on offense from last season.

Preston Stone will return as the starting quarterback for Southern Methodist University. Key'Shawn Smith, Romello Brinson and Jake Bailey make up the wide receiver core. Transfer Brashard Smith is the running back, and RJ Maryland is the starting tight end.

Lastly, the Mustang's offensive line is made up of left tackle PJ Williams, left guard Logan Parr, center Justin Osborne, right guard Jakai Clark and right tackle Nate Anderson, a transfer out of Oklahoma.

The defensive starters have a little more turnover with three transfers in nose tackle Anthony Booker Jr., defensive tackle Jared Harrison-Hunte and defensive end Jahfari Harvey. Defensive end Elijah Roberts will return along with linebackers Kobe Wilson, Ahmad Walker and Brandon Crossley.

The starting safeties are Isaiah Nwokobia and Jonathan McGill. Lastly, the defensive backs are Jaelyn Davis-Robinson and Cale Sanders Jr.

How does SMU's starting lineup compare to Nevada's?

SMU football is favored by experts to defeat Nevada in its Week 0 matchup. That said, the Wolf Pack have some top-end players that could cause trouble for the Mustangs. The most notable offensive weapon for Nevada is running back Sean Dollars, who ran for 527 yards and six touchdowns last season.

The best returning defensive player for the Wolf Pack is linebacker Drue Watts. He excels at making tackles, forcing fumbles and breaking up passes. So, if Stone has a bad game, it could be because of Watts.

Key players to watch in SMU's starting lineup

As SMU heads into its first game of the season, the top player to watch is wide receiver Jake Bailey. He will be the top offensive option for the team.

On defense, the Mustangs made a few key additions via the transfer portal in the offseason. Anthony Booker is one of those and will take the starting nose tackle role. If he fits in with an already strong defensive line, it could mean good things for the program's defense this season.