Texas State football head coach G.J. Kinne addressed the media on Thursday following the Bobcats’ second spring practice, mostly discussing a new-look Bobcat roster that tasks him with a challenge heading into the fall.
“It’s a good group, but we have a long way to go just because they are just so new to everything,” said Kinne.
Adding to the new faces, the Bobcats hosted walk-on tryouts recently, and Kinne said four players were signed.
“Probably two or three of those [walk-ons] have a chance to come and be part of the team. That’s always good to see. [I] love those stories,” said Kinne.
Now in his third season at the helm of Texas State football, Kinne said recruiting classes are beginning to grow, resulting in being without a chunk of the roster for spring practices, while the transfer portal players are already with the team in the spring.
“That’s one of the biggest differences, is just the lack of bodies compared to previous years because it was pretty much portal,” said Kinne. “You’re signing smaller high school classes, so they’re all here in the spring.”
Kinne said another task at hand is developing the players in a short period of time and figuring out which guys can play.
“Constantly, we’re having personnel meetings after practice and going through every single guy on the roster and saying, ‘Hey, is this guy going to be able to help us this year, is this guy not going to be able to help us this year,’” said Kinne.
The Bobcats brought in three transfer quarterbacks in the winter transfer portal after Jordan McCloud, All-Sun Belt Third Team quarterback in 2024, ran out of eligibility. The transfer quarterbacks include redshirt senior Gevani McCoy from Oregon State, redshirt junior Holden Geriner from Auburn and redshirt senior Nate Yarnell from Pittsburgh. Another quarterback competing for the starting role is redshirt freshman Brad Jackson, who is returning after seeing playing time last season.
“This is a open competition and none of those guys got NIL money to come here, none of them got anything, this is an opportunity to come prove yourself to be the guy,” said Kinne.
Through two practices, Kinne said the new quarterback room has impressed, but the relationship they’re building is just as impressive.
“What I like about those guys is they have already bonded, they’ve created a friendship in that room, which is good, but they’re still competing,” said Kinne.
Lincoln Pare, Beau Sparks and Chris Dawn Jr., key players from last year and going into the fall, are individuals Kinne says he’s seen step into leadership roles with the new team.
“All of those guys are great kids too and great teammates and now it’s their time to kind of lead,” said Kinne.
The Bobcats were forced to replace former offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich, who left for the same position at Texas Tech, with Landon Keopple, who served as Texas State’s assistant wide receivers coach last year.
Kinne says not much has changed offensively with Keopple stepping up, but about 5 percent of the offense is undergoing changes.
“We’re dabbling in some new things, and that’s every year, though,” said Kinne.
According to Kinne, the defense, almost entirely new, is still figuring itself out and trying to learn the basics of the scheme early in the spring. Ryan Nolan, Kalil Alexander and Bobby Crosby are players Kinne said have stood out thus far.
Texas State has 12 more spring practices before their spring game on April 12.
