Texas State football’s 2025-26 season ended Friday with a 41-10 win over Rice in the Armed Forces Bowl. The Bobcats finished their last season in the Sun Belt 7-6, a modest record that doesn’t encapsulate the turbulent ups and downs head coach GJ Kinne and company endured to get there.
Texas State didn’t reach the heights it seemed to be capable of after starting 3-1 with a win over rival UTSA. But it doesn’t mean that the overall season was a complete disappointment. Compared to what the Bobcats accomplished before Kinne arrived, this was an adequate result. However, Kinne understands things must change, which is why Texas State has already begun to reconstruct itself for next season.
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In review, here are the grades that the Bobcats have received for their performance this past season.
Offense: A+
The mediocre record masks an all-time season from the Texas State offense. True, it had its missteps against Arizona State, James Madison and Louisiana. But the numbers from quarterback Brad Jackson’s debut season — 3,224 passing yards, 744 rushing yards, 21 passing touchdowns, 17 rushing touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 71.3% completion rate — are impossible to ignore. It was an all-time performance from the redshirt freshman, who set a program record for most offensive yards and most rushing touchdowns in a season.
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Wide receiver Beau Sparks broke the Texas State reception record, collecting 84 catches for 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns. Fellow wideout Chris Dawn Jr. caught 65 passes for 1,006 yards and four touchdowns, marking the first time the Bobcats have ever had two 1,000-yard receivers.
Offensive line coach Jordan Shoemaker did a masterful job replacing the offseason departures along the line. Despite right guard Tellek Lockette taking a redshirt, the unit didn’t miss a beat with Justin DeLeon proving an adequate replacement. Jackson’s threat on the ground also allowed the running backs to thrive, with Lincoln Pare and Greg Burrell combining for 1,832 yards, 15 touchdowns and 5.9 yards per carry.
Texas State Bobcats quarterback Brad Jackson (8) scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter as the Texas State Bobcats take on the South Alabama Jaguars at UFCU Stadium in San Marcos, Nov. 29, 2025.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Defense: D
The primary cause for the season’s derailment. Cracks showed when Texas State allowed 464 yards of offense to UTSA, and after allowing Troy to storm back from a 28-7 halftime deficit for a 48-41 overtime win, it became clear that the defense was a complete liability. It allowed 30.6 points per game, which rose to 42.6 during their five-game losing streak
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The turnovers and big negative plays that had made Dexter McCoil’s unit viable in 2024 were not present in 2025. The first turnover came against Nicholls, and by the eighth game, Texas State only had three. While the secondary received most of the blame, the Bobcats’ pass rush disappointed most, contrary to preseason expectations. Edge Kalil Alexander led the team in sacks (5.5), but the total dropped from 36 last year to 25, while the pressure total dipped from 252 to 219, according to Pro Football Focus.
Texas State saves itself from an F thanks to a strong finish to the year. It held opponents to 16 points per game in its final four contests, recovering three fumbles and intercepting four passes. Cornerback Jaden Rios led the team with four interceptions and linebacker Treylin Payne earned the highest defensive PFF grade, collecting 107 tackles. But it all came too little, too late.
Texas State head coach Gj Kinne hoists the trophy following the Armed Forces Bowl NCAA college football game against Texas State Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas.
Julio Cortez/Associated Press
Special teams: A-
Kicker Tyler Robles had himself a season, making 21 of his 23 field goal attempts and missing only one extra point. Unfortunately for Bobcat fans, that extra point proved to be the difference in a 31-30 loss to the Red Wolves in October.
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Special teams coach Tanner Burns unleashed running back Jaylen Jenkins. He finished with 622 kick return yards — third-most in the entire nation — highlighted by a 100-yard touchdown against South Alabama. Punter David Nunez averaged 40.7 yards per punt, but the unit allowed only 41 punt return yards, the lowest mark in the Sun Belt.
Texas State Bobcats punter David Nunez (38) punts the ball as Texas State plays James Madison at Jim Wacker Field at UFCU Stadium in San Marcos, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Coaching: B
McCoil deserves a lot of criticism for the defense’s performance, and Kinne’s questionable in-game decision-making played a large role in Texas State losing its first four Sun Belt conference games. There’s a case to be made that a few different choices would’ve massively changed how the Bobcats’ season turned out.
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But for all the critiques, Kinne and his staff deserve just as much credit for rallying the troops after losing 42-39 to Louisiana. Against Southern Miss, the leaders of the Sun Belt West at the time, Texas State delivered its best performance of the season. The Bobcats rode that wave to their third-straight bowl win.
A team’s true character reveals itself in hardship. In Texas State’s closing to the season, Kinne showed that his emphasis on culture was not just talk, but a real part of the program.