The Texas State football team kicked off the week with a Coach’s Night held in San Antonio then quickly made their way up to New Orleans to attend Sun Belt Media Day. Head Coach GJ Kinne and his staff gave the fans a sneak peek into what they have planned for the 2025-2026 season. Kinne and several members of the team were bombarded with questions surrounding the entrance into the PAC-12, their plans around personnel, the value of recruitment/retention and much more. It’s been a week filled with excitement and anticipation for the upcoming season. The fans have been seeing the success of the Texas State football team over recent years and the potential the program has. GJ Kinne provided reassurance for those fans this week with a vision that left the Bobcat faithful itching for week 1.
Let’s start off with Coach’s Night held on Sunday in San Antonio, Texas. This was a great opportunity for local fans to show support for their Bobcats and get insight into the future of the program. It was ironic that it was on the same day as the Sun Belt preseason polls came out. Texas State was picked to finish second in the West but had no players selected on first or second team all-offense/defense. Can someone make that make any sense at all? I’m not one to get upset at a preseason poll since they have absolutely zero significance to them. I understand we lost multiple starters in the offseason. It just seems like quite the jab from the Sun Belt to a team that’s leaving their conference. I’m hoping we can revisit those tweets later this year on the “Freezing Cold Takes” account. Either way, I’m not going to take a second place projection for granted.
The excitement around the Bobcats entrance into the PAC-12 was obviously the first thing on everyone’s minds heading into Coach’s Night. GJ Kinne dove into the expectations he has set for the program and their plans to reach them. The media has set them high for Bobcats, but it seems like Kinne has set them higher for his players and staff. When asked about what it was going to take to compete in the PAC-12, Kinne said “We are going to have to take every rep at 100%, every day”. He went on to describe how this move changes a lot of things for the program but also keeps a lot of them the same. Kinne mentioned that they plan on riding this momentum but not being complacent when things are going well. He reminds me of a younger Steve Sarkisian, especially with Sarkisian and the Longhorns’ team motto “all gas, no brakes”. This was the message Kinne was trying to convey all night when asked about the PAC-12. The move to the PAC-12 was monumental for Texas State, but that doesn’t mean Kinne and Bobcats are stopping there.
Kinne talked a lot about all the “firsts” his program has been able to accomplish since his arrival. Whether it was the Bobcats first bowl game appearance/win, obtaining large recruitment classes or joining a new conference – he’s had a lot of success at Texas State. He made it clear that he’s not done yet when speaking on it at Coach’s Night. In his position and with success this year, he will have offers from multiple reputable universities. A lot of coach’s would leave but after seeing the energy he gives off about this program, I have a good feeling he’s bought in to this teams’ future.
When concluding the discussion on the PAC-12 and their future, Kinne made sure to mention that their vision for this year hasn’t wavered with this recent news. They’re 100% focused on this year and the opportunity to end the Sun Belt conference title drought. Here’s Kinne on this opportunity for the Bobcats:
Following Coach’s Night, a couple members of the team and staff of the Texas State football team made their way to New Orleans for Sun Belt Media Day. During Media Day, GJ Kinne got to speak on their plans with personnel this year and brag on his two players he brought along with him, DE Kalil Alexander and OL Dorian Strawn. Leaders on each side of the ball, they made it clear that their Head Coach and President, Kelly Damphousse, have made the difference for their team. Kinne opened media day with a thoughtful statement towards the families affected in the Kerrville floods, introduced his players and laid out his expectations for his team for this upcoming season. Take a look:
The rest of the day captured GJ Kinne’s plans for his roster, especially the starting QB position. The Bobcats were busy in the offseason to make sure they had more than enough options at the position following Jordan McCloud’s departure. They are technically undergoing a 4-way QB battle, but the fans know it’s more like a 2-way battle. Nate Yarnell and Holden Geriner are still in the running for possible playing time, but it seems like the staff is focused on dual threat QB Brad Jackson and SMU transfer Keldric Luster. Both of their names were brought up multiple times and Kinne had great things to say about them both. Brad Jackson seems like the frontrunner at the moment, but I wouldn’t count out some version of a 2-QB system this year. Each guy has such a different but valuable skill set. It’s the rare time I could see a 2-QB system working. It would make me more comfortable seeing Brad Jackson under center all game come week 1, but it also makes me giddy thinking about them both on the field. Anyway, here’s what GJ Kinne had to say about the QB battle:
The last message that came across at both events was the value of recruitment vs. retention. This was a huge point that GJ Kinne was trying to make abundantly clear to the media. As much time and effort that his staff puts into recruiting, it doesn’t mean much when you can’t retain the solid pieces of your roster. Kinne leans hard on the importance of retention and building a culture worth staying for. It’s obvious he cares about his players but also knows how to light that fire in them. A quality that every successful head coach needs. Here’s Kinne about the importance of keeping his players:
It’s been quite a week for the Bobcats. Each day, we get closer to football season and the anticipation grows stronger. Texas State gained much needed national recognition and coverage this offseason. Now, it’s time to prove to the world why they deserve it. Week 1 can’t come soon enough.