by Prior to 2023, the Texas State Bobcats endured minimal success since joining the FBS a little over a decade ago. Three head coaches and eight-straight losing seasons from 2015-2022 led to the program becoming one of the laughing stocks of the Sun Belt.
Flash forward to today and first-year head coach G.J. Kinne and the Bobcats are coming off an 8-5 campaign, highlighted by the program’s first-ever bowl victory. With the future looking bright in San Marcos, TX, the “why not us” mantra has never been louder for Texas State football.
The Talent
With hopes of taking a step further and making some noise on the national stage, Texas State will have some of their more important pieces back in 2024.
It all starts with quarterback TJ Finley, who announced his return to the Bobcats on Thursday. The sophomore took his game to another level in 2023, throwing for 3,439 yards (17th in FBS) and 24 touchdowns (23rd in FBS) while having the 16th-best completion rate in the country (.674). Saddled in an up-tempo, high-octane offense, Finley could quietly emerge as one of the best signal callers in the country next season.
Texas State’s biggest returnee, however, is running back is Ismail Mahdi. The second-team All-American reportedly received a handful of Power Five offers before deciding not to enter the transfer portal this offseason. The absurdly efficient Mahdi was the catalyst of the second-best rushing offense in the conference this season, racking up 1,331 rushing yards (13th in FBS) and 12 total touchdowns while averaging 102.4 yards per game on the ground (13th in FBS).
Texas State only lost nine guys to the portal and boasts one of the top-ranked transfer portal classes in the Sun Belt as well.
The Transfer Portal
If Kinne wasn’t already a fan favorite for the Bobcat faithful down south, his offseason aggressiveness in the portal cemented him as such.
Texas State had a very solid portal haul as six new faces will join the program this spring. Headlining the class is wide receiver Beau Sparks and running back Jaylen Jenkins. Sparks, an FCS Freshman All-American at Utah Tech, posted an impressive 73-723-7 line for the Trailblazers in 2023. The speedy wide out, who runs a 4.4 40-yard dash, will be an excellent vertical target for Finley and this offense.
Jenkins was a three-star prospect entering college, but climbed up the Washington State depth chart this past season. The Allen, TX product had over 400 rushing yards for the Cougs over the past two years before being dismissed from the team in October for “violation of team rules.” As long as Jenkins can stay in line, he will be a good change-of-pace back for Mahdi in the rushing attack.
The Schedule
It won’t be a cake walk, but the 2024 schedule sets up a perfect opportunity for the Bobcats to gain traction as a Group of Five dark horse and claw their way into the Sun Belt title picture.
Early-season non-conference matchups against UTSA and Arizona State present a challenge, but both games will take place at Bobcat Stadium.
In terms of conference play, Texas State’s road slate is difficult with trips to Old Dominion, South Alabama, and Troy. However, with South Alabama losing a lot of production and the Troy’s coaching change potentially resulting in a decline, the Bobcats control their own destiny. Home games against Arkansas State, Louisiana, and Georgia State down the stretch are must-win, and will be a good measuring stick to see how good this team actually is.
Overall Consensus
Fresh off a historic season and a monumental bowl win, there is a lot to be excited about as a Texas State fan. With a lot of returning production, a solid transfer portal class coming in, and Kinne continuing to instill a great culture, the Bobcats are a team to keep on your radar this upcoming season. Time to #EatEmUp.