By Matt Girard
Prior to the 2023 season, the Texas State Bobcats struggled to gain a significant foothold at the FBS level of college football. The Bobcats joined the upper echelon of college football in 2012 but had yet to play in a bowl game, had never won more than seven games in a season and won a total of just 23 games from 2015-2022.
In 2023, Texas State hired college football’s youngest head coach in G.J. Kinne. Since taking over in San Marcos, Texas the 36-year-old has been a wunderkind turning the Bobcats into not only a winning program, but a program that is garnering attention as one of the best in the state of Texas. Kinne led Texas State to its first bowl game victory (First Responders Bowl) in school history in his first season and finished 8-5 overall. In his second season in 2024, Kinne once again led the Bobcats to an 8-5 overall record and a victory against North Texas in the First Responders Bowl.
Along with being 2-0 in bowl games in the last two seasons, the Bobcats became the first team to have back-to-back winning seasons since 2008-09 and Kinne became the first Texas State coach to register back-to-back eight-win seasons since Jim Walker in 1981-82. Behind record-setting quarterback Jordan McCloud, Kinne’s offense finished seventh in the nation averaging 36.5 points per game, fifth in the nation in total yards per game (476.9 ypg), set a school record with 6,200 total yards of offense, and had eight games with more than 450 yards of total offense in 2024.
Bobcats’ Offense Poised to Pounce
Looking for a third consecutive bowl game appearance in 2025, Kinne’s offense will have new pilots leading his run-and-shoot offense with the departure of McCloud (projected undrafted free agent in 2025 NFL Draft) and offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich (Texas Tech). To lead the offense Kinne promoted from within, promoting assistant quarterbacks coach Landon Keopple to offensive coordinator.
The familiarity between Kinne and Keopple should prove to be beneficial as the Bobcats brought in three quarterbacks via the transfer portal to compete for the starting job. Competing for the job will be former four-star prospect Holden Geriner (from Auburn), Gevani McCoy (from Oregon State), and Nate Yarnell (from Pitt). McCoy and Yarnell have the most recent game experience, playing in a combined 19 games in 2024. For the Beavers, McCoy completed 60.9 percent of his passes for 1,300 yards, three touchdowns and six interceptions, while Yarnell passed for 1,056 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions. Geriner has played in just eight games in his three-year career with the Tigers and is 8-of-9 for 116 yards in mop-up duty.
Last year’s leading rusher Ismail Mahdi (991 yards, four touchdowns) transferred to Arizona in the offseason, but the running back room is far from bare with the return of First Responders Bowl MVP Lincoln Pare, Torrance Burgess Jr. and UNLV transfer Greg Burrell. In the Bobcats’ 20-28 win against UNT, Pare rushed for 143 yards on 21 carries and two touchdowns, and had 554 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Burgess chipped in with 367 yards and two rushing touchdowns, while Burrell had 65 carries for 366 yards and three touchdowns for the Rebels in 2024.
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The Bobcats’ pass catchers will be a project for Kinne as Texas State’s top three from last season depart via graduation or the transfer portal. Wide receiver Chris Down Jr., who had 37 receptions for 418 yards and six touchdowns, is the top returning target for whoever takes over at quarterback. The Bobcats brought in transfers wide receiver Shemar Kirk (from Miami), wide receiver Quincy Brown (from Northeast Louisiana) and wide receiver Tyrin Smith (from Cincinnati), and tight end Ty Stamey (from Louisiana) to help supplement the unit.
Three-star recruits tight end Arris Battle Jr. (6–foot-4, 220 pounds), wide receiver Tucker Cusano (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) and wide receiver Julius Spencer (6-foot, 186 pounds) could also see some playing time for the Bobcats this season.
Experienced Corps Returns for Defense
Dexter McCoil returns for his second season as the Bobcats’ defensive coordinator after a solid debut in 2024 as his unit allowed 24.5 ppg (fourth best in Sun Belt Conference) and 358.9 total ypg (third best in SBC). McCoil will rely on a corps of returners to lead the Texas State defense in 2025. The team’s second-leading tackler safety Ryan Nolan (52 total tacklers) and two of the team’s top-three leaders in sacks in defensive ends Kalil Alexander (6.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss) and Jo’Laison Landry (4.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss) are back along with linebacker Treylin Payne.
INTERCEPTION TREYLIN PAYNE!
Texas State has won back-to-back First Responder Bowls. #TXST pic.twitter.com/cFp8wAMZiW
— Carter Yates (@Carter_Yates16) January 4, 2025
Around the corps of defensive returners, Texas State was busy in the transfer portal and on the recruiting trail, bringing in 11 transfers and 10 three-star recruits on the defensive side of the ball. The transfers include defensive lineman Kyran Bourda (from Arizona State), defensive lineman Michael Nwokocha (from Syracuse), EDGE Kenard Snyder (from Iowa State), linebacker Terrence Cooks Jr. (from TCU), linebacker Chantz Johnson (from Texas A&M) and cornerback Khamari Terrell (from Oregon). Junior college transfers cornerback Craig Royal (6-foot-2, 175 pounds) and safety Jaylen Boehm-Peterson (6-foot-3, 190 pounds) will fill out the secondary.
Texas State will open the season at home against Eastern Michigan on Aug. 30 before back-to-back road games against the UTSA Roadrunners (Sept. 6) and defending Big 12 Conference Champion Arizona State Sun Devils (Sept. 13).
