In the world of storytelling, the Hero’s Journey is a common template to describe the path the main character of a story takes in order to become the victor and return home. While the journey of a college football player might not always follow the template to a T, there’s always more to the story of how a player becomes a starter or a star.
In the case of Preston Stone, the stellar junior quarterback of the SMU Mustangs, the beginning of that journey takes us back to a unique high school career that began a stretch of dominance not only for him but for his alma mater as well.
Preston Stone Was a Dallas High School Legend
A native of Dallas, Texas — one of the known QB hotbeds of the country — Stone chose to play at lesser-known Parish Episcopal under a new head coach, Daniel Novakov, over traditional powerhouse Highland Park.
This set in motion a trend of decisions that has led Stone to another non-traditional program looking to make its mark on college football.
Stone was a highly touted recruit from the beginning. He earned his first scholarship offer as an eighth-grader and amassed dozens of offers by the time he became an official starting high school QB.
Stone was rated a four-star prospect by 247 Sports, a compilation of industry rankings across multiple platforms. While on track to become Highland Park’s starter, Stone elected to go play at Parish Episcopal as a freshman and triggered the beginning of a dynastic run for the school.
Under Stone, the school earned back-to-back championships, plus another three after he left to make IT five straight TAPPS Division I championships.
Stone was nothing short of fantastic during his time at Parish Episcopal, throwing for 3,429 passing yards and 38 touchdowns, along with 536 rushing yards and another 10 scores on the ground as a senior. Stone’s career totals of 13,100 yards passing and 145 TDs are eye-popping, to say the least, and his efforts as a senior earned him District MVP honors.
Stone was a highly touted recruit, rated as the fifth-best dual-threat QB in the country. He held offers from basically every big-name school in the country.
Once again, Stone made a unique decision by selecting SMU as his future home, turning down ballyhooed programs like Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and others to go with a school near and dear to his heart.
Stone’s older brother Parker played receiver for the Mustangs, and his strong family ties led him to take a backseat as a freshman as he elected to play for Coach Sonny Dykes and SMU.
Stone sat for two years watching Tanner Mordecai dice up defenses, waiting for his opportunity to shine. His loyalty was tested again when Dykes departed to TCU.
For a player accustomed to playing in the spotlight as a four-year starter at the high school level, the urge to make the change to a different program with a higher national profile had to be enticing. Yet, deciding to stay once Rhett Lashlee was officially named the head coach has paid off for the young signal-caller.
Stone was downright awesome in his redshirt sophomore season at SMU, throwing for 3,197 yards and 28 touchdowns. He was the most efficient passer in the AAC with a rating of 161.3 and totaling 15.5 yards per completion.
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season With CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
Stone’s stats were good enough to earn him third-team All-AAC, behind two of the best quarterbacks in the AAC’s recent history, Frank Harris and Michael Pratt.
As Stone embarks on his next big opportunity, one last bit of adversity faced him in the offseason.
Stone broke his fibula in last year’s final game of the regular season. Now fully recovered as the Mustangs take on a new challenge in the ACC, he’ll be looked upon to elevate his game and the program in a continuation of his journey. It’s a role that Stone seems destined to play.
College Football Network has you covered with the latest news and analysis, rankings, transfer portal information, top 10 returning players, the 2024 college football season schedule, and much more!