SMU head coach June Jones believes in having his quarterbacks throw the ball … a lot … in practice every day. Every practice session includes passing drills in which four receivers run routes, and four quarterbacks throw passes simultaneously. Jones and quarterbacks coach Dan Morrison — and the passers who have played for them — talk about the necessity of throwing a lot of passes, both to better understand the offense and to strengthen passing arms. It’s not uncommon to see some of the quarterbacks with bags of ice on their arms after practice — not because of injury, but just because of that much throwing can tire out their passing arms.

Quarterback Austin Kent augments his exceptional height with a high release point on his throws (photo by Laney College athletics).

That method hit a glitch in 2012 when backup quarterback Garrett Krstich was hurt, leaving the Mustangs with just three healthy passers. Graduate assistant Timmy Chang, who starred at quarterback for Jones at the University of Hawaii, knocked the rust off his arm and stepped in as a fourth passer, just to keep the rotation going.

A shortage of arms should not be an issue in 2013, however. Krstich is back at full-speed, joining Garrett Gilbert, Neal Burcham and Conner Preston, and the Ponies signed quarterback Kolney Cassel of Yakima, Wash., in February.

But thereΓÇÖs one more arm in the MustangsΓÇÖ spring practices, and he stands out ΓÇö or at least above ΓÇö the crowd at his position. Austin Kent gives Jones five quarterbacks this spring, a luxury he has not had since he arrived at SMU in 2008. The Happy Valley, Ore., native transferred to SMU in January from Laney College in Oakland, Calif. ΓÇö the same school that produced former Mustang defensive back Sterling Moore.

ΓÇ£I donΓÇÖt know (Moore) personally, but everyone knows of him,ΓÇ¥ Kent said. ΓÇ£I mean, he played for the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Everyone at Laney knows about him.ΓÇ¥

Kent said he ended up at Laney because ΓÇ£thereΓÇÖs no junior college football in Oregon,ΓÇ¥ and got in touch through SMU offensive line coach Wes Suan. KentΓÇÖs father, Brian, played running back for Suan at Linfield (Ore.) College.

ΓÇ£SMU recruited me a little out of high school, and I always wanted to play college football in Texas ΓÇö everyone knows about football in Texas,ΓÇ¥ Kent said. ΓÇ£I called Coach Suan (while at Laney) and told him I wanted to play at SMU. He said they were interested in me, and that if (Cassel) didnΓÇÖt commit, they would take me, but he did. So then I had a choice to make. I had scholarship offers from Eastern Washington and Northern Colorado, which is in the Big Sky Conference, but I always wanted to play in Texas ΓÇö maybe itΓÇÖs because, as a kid, I watched Friday Night Lights or something. So I took a chance. This is where I wanted to be.ΓÇ¥

The offense Kent is learning at SMU has some similarity to what he ran in high school and at Laney.

ΓÇ£In high school, we had different offenses,ΓÇ¥ he said. ΓÇ£My junior year, we ran the spread option, and my senior year, we ran the spread. Then, at Laney, we ran a pro-style offense, so I was working under center. I donΓÇÖt know my exact stats from last year, but I threw for about 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns, and ran for about 250 yards and three more touchdowns.ΓÇ¥

Coaches often talk about wanting taller quarterbacks who can see over oncoming defenders. At 6-foot-6, Kent has more than ample height, and increases his advantage with a pretty high release point on his throws.

ΓÇ£Being back in the shotgun (at SMU), I can see the field a little easier,ΓÇ¥ he said. ΓÇ£I mean, I can see anyway, but being back there helps. I can see whatΓÇÖs coming.ΓÇ¥

Asked for a thumbnail sketch of his abilities, Kent first pointed to his knowledge of the game, his ΓÇ£quarterback IQ.ΓÇ¥ Then, while acknowledging that heΓÇÖs not a pure sprinter, he also has good mobility within the pocket.

The aspect of his game Kent has worked on the most of late has been that which plagues a lot of tall, long-armed quarterbacks: a long windup that translates to a slow release of the ball.

ΓÇ£I have been working hard on that,ΓÇ¥ he said. ΓÇ£IΓÇÖm trying to focus on that every day in practice. ThatΓÇÖs the biggest thing with me ΓÇö learning the offense, and shortening up my release.ΓÇ¥

Kent carries with him a realistic view of the quarterback pecking order as the Mustangs enter their final week of spring workouts. Barring a major turn of events, Gilbert is the 2013 starter, and Preston, Burcham and Krstich all have experience in the system, so Kent knows the cards are stacked against him, at least for now.

ΓÇ£Right now, IΓÇÖm just trying to learn the offense,ΓÇ¥ he said. ΓÇ£(The coaches) said that if IΓÇÖm not going to get on the field, theyΓÇÖll redshirt me. If that happens, IΓÇÖll spend the year learning and working to get ready for next year, and IΓÇÖll be ready to compete.ΓÇ¥