Former SMU QB Preston Stone takes talents to Northwestern in Christmas Eve college football commitment

Quarterback Preston Stone attempts to start fresh in his final year of eligibility next fall, officially committing to Northwestern on Tuesday.

Stone took to social media to make the news official, keeping it short and sweet.

Stone spent four seasons with SMU, primarily as a backup. However, in 16 starts, he won 13 while throwing for over 4,000 yards and 35 touchdowns in his career thus far. During the regular season, he saw limited playing time in favor of Kevin Jennings, who helped lead the Mustangs to an ACC Championship and College Football Playoff berth.

Last Saturday, the Mustangs were eliminated in the opening round against Penn State in State College, leading to Stone's eventual decision after it had been initially reported by On3's Pete Nakos of Stone's intention to head to the Big Ten.

Stone comes to Evanston to fix a depleted quarterback room with many issues this past season. Second-year coach David Braun failed to capture the same magic as the 2023 season. Several experts picked Northwestern to finish the year dead last after Pat Fitzgerald's firing weeks before the season began. The Wildcats finished 8-5 with a victory in the SRS Las Vegas Bowl against Utah.

However, this season saw a complete detour. Between quarterbacks Mike Wright and Jack Lausch, the Wildcats stumbled to a 4-8 season, including a 2-6 finish down the stretch to eliminate themselves from bowl contention altogether. These included lopsided losses to bowl-eligible and College Football Playoff conference teams – Ohio State (31-7), Illinois (38-28), Michigan (50-6) and Iowa (40-14).

The Wildcats struggled to keep pace with their newly minted Big Ten counterparts in an expanded Big Ten league. With an ever-changing college football landscape, the Wildcats' goal of a turnaround must be paramount, which begins with Stone.

Northwestern will have to keep rebuilding with a long offseason ahead of it, much less a challenging 2025 schedule that includes Oregon, Illinois, Penn State, Michigan, and Nebraska at various points.