Texas State Rides a Loaded Passing Attack Into the New Pac-12, but the Defense Holds the Verdict
Texas State went 7-6 (3-5 Sun Belt) in 2025, closing coach GJ Kinne's third season at a program he has raised to a 23-16 mark and three consecutive winning campaigns. The defining story of 2026 is a change of address: the Bobcats leave the Sun Belt for the rebuilt Pac-12, and for the first time Kinne carries the same quarterback into consecutive seasons. He also reshaped his defensive staff, handing the coordinator job to Will Windham after a unit that repeatedly failed to protect late leads.
An offense that has topped the league in yardage and finished no worse than second in scoring for three straight years returns nearly all of its skill talent, so the ceiling here is high. Whether the Bobcats finally contend rests on the other side of the ball.
Offense
Brad Jackson returns as a sophomore starter and enters the year as the preseason pick for offensive player of the year in the new conference. He threw for 3,224 yards with 21 touchdowns against seven interceptions and remains a genuine dual threat, adding 744 yards and 17 scores on the ground. Continuity is the difference: with a full season as the starter behind him, Jackson gives Kinne the rare luxury of a settled trigger man in a proven system.
The Bobcats were the only FBS team to produce two 1,000-yard receivers in 2025, and both return as seniors. Beau Sparks broke out with 84 catches for 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns, while Chris Dawn Jr. added 65 receptions for 1,007 yards and four scores. Kylen Evans (15 catches, 211 yards) started five games as a third option, and tight end Blake Smith is a reliable outlet after 10 grabs for 105 yards. With almost every contributor back, this projects as one of the most dangerous pass-catching groups in the league.
The backfield is the exception to the returning-talent theme. Lincoln Pare, a 1,000-yard rusher, is gone, and Greg Burrell is no longer with the program. That leaves Jaylen Jenkins, who managed only 170 yards a year ago, as the top returning back, and he also doubles as the team's premier return man. Torrance Burgess Jr. figures into the rotation behind him. The room needs a new lead ballcarrier if the offense is to stay balanced.
Continuity and portal additions mix up front. Justin DeLeon started six games after arriving from UTSA, and Sully Burns took over a tackle spot after playing 12 games in 2024, his first season in San Marcos following a move from Tulane. William Boone, who opened the first three games at North Carolina before a medical redshirt, joins from Prairie View and can play tackle or guard. Jaylen Early, who saw three games at Missouri after starting his career at Florida State, adds another experienced body, with Cameron Schultz and Bamidele Badusi in the interior mix.
Defense
DonTerry Russell headlines the front after a productive debut season, posting 4.5 sacks among 19 tackles following his transfer from Mississippi State. The interior leans on senior Bryce Carter, with newcomers expected to round out the two-deep. McNeese transfer Phillip Bradford brings a disruptive resume, having piled up 15.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks at the FCS level, and Chancellor Owens, from Arizona, and Kaleb James, from Arkansas, give the staff options inside. Jo'Laison Landry is another rotation piece off the edge.
The second level is the surest returning group on defense. Terrence Cooks II and Ayden Jones both come back after ranking among the team's top tacklers, with Jones logging 56 stops. They anchor a unit Windham wants playing with far more discipline than its predecessor. Depth behind the top pair is thinner and will lean on younger names.
Ryan Nolan is the leading returning tackler, a senior safety who racked up 79 stops with a couple of tackles for loss. Nickel Amarion Atwood is a proven contributor after 30 tackles across eight starts and profiles as a player to watch. Veterans such as Craig Royal Jr. and Trez Moore hold down the cornerback spots, though the secondary must replace production and manufacture more takeaways after only two returnees recorded an interception in 2025.
This may be the deepest area on the roster. Texas State has become a pipeline for kickers, sending its last two starters to Power programs, and Toledo transfer Dylan Cunanan steps in with a solid track record from his time there. Australian freshman Thomas Flintoff inherits the punting job from a well-regarded line of specialists. The return game is a genuine weapon: Jenkins led the Sun Belt at 27.0 yards per kickoff return and took one back 100 yards, while Sparks handles punt returns.
Overview and Prediction
The schedule opens at Texas and winds through a Pac-12 slate with trips to San Diego State, Boise State and Oregon State, plus home dates against Fresno State and Washington State. The preseason consensus slots the Bobcats around sixth in the new league.
The formula is clear. Kinne's offense has averaged 36.5 points a game over three seasons and returns nearly all of its skill talent, so the verdict comes down to whether Windham can steady a defense that surrendered 29 points and close to 165 rushing yards per game. If the coordinator change tightens the run defense and the late-game lapses stop, a roster this experienced can push toward the top of the Pac-12 and challenge the likes of Boise State, San Diego State and Fresno State. If not, another high-scoring, middling-record season is the likelier result. The defense, not the offense, is the make-or-break.