The Texas State Bobcats were a team in transition last year in Jake Spavital’s first season as head coach and hope to have a larger number in the win column in 2020.
Texas State posted a 3-9 record, including a 2-6 mark in Sun Belt Conference play, a year ago and one the new season with a big home game against SMU. The Bobcats’ biggest conference games come on the road this season against Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 18 and at South Alabama on Oct. 17.
Five Friday Night Lights alums look to lead the Bobcats this fall.
Brady McBride, sophomore quarterback, Coppell
McBride will garner a good bit of attention in his return to the Lone Star State after sitting out the 2019 season after transferring from Memphis.
He played sparingly for the Tigers in 2018, completing 8 of 14 pass attempts for 88 yards and rushed for 31 yards on seven carries.
McBride led Coppell to a 27-10 record in three varsity season and led the team to three consecutive trips to the playoffs. He threw for 7,662 yards and was a 2017 Texas Sports Writers Association Class 6A honorable mention.
Jeremiah Haydel, senior wide receiver, Alief Taylor
Haydel will be looked upon to be a leader in the Bobcat receiving corps and earned an all-conference honorable mention in 2018.
Last year he had 32 receptions for 324 yards and returned three kicks for 87 yards.
Haydel was a two-time District 23-6A all-district selection in high school and finished with 140 catches for 1,700 yards and 15 touchdowns in his varsity career.
Jarron Morris, junior defensive back, West Orange Stark
Morris looks to build on a solid 2019 where he earned an All-Sun Belt honorable mention.
He posted 44 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, an interception and deflected seven passes for the Texas State defense.
Morris was a two-time state champion at West Orange Stark and helped the school reach the 2017 state championship game. He was also named the District 12-4A, Division II MVP as a senior in 2017.
Caeveon Patton, senior defensive lineman, Cuero
Patton started all 12 games in 2019 and garnered all All-Sun Belt honorable mention.
As the anchor of the Bobcat defensive line, Patton finished with 41 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and deflected three passes.
Patton had a great finish to his time as a Gobbler helping Cuero make a run to the state quarterfinals in 2016 and was an Associated Press Sports Writers Class 4A honorable mention. He posted 77 tackles, 12 sacks and 22 tackles for loss in his high school career.
Khambrail Winters, sophomore defensive back, Alief Taylor
Winters had a strong collegiate debut in 2019 and earned an all-conference honorable mention.
He played in 11 games, making 52 tackles, including 30 solo stops and had four pass deflections. His strongest game came against state power Texas A&M where he finished with eight tackles, four of those being solo tackles.
Winters was an Associated Press Sports Editors Class 6A All-State honorable mention as a senior at Alief Taylor.
