Take Back Texas: National Signing Day 2023

By GianCarlo Cacho

Sports Reporter

SAN MARCOS—The Bobcat football program is rebranding with a new head coach, coaching staff, and new players. All in an effort to “Take back Texas”.

Since Coach GJ Kinne was announced as the new head coach for Texas State football, he and his team started immediately recruiting for the 2023 season. The goal is that this team is going to “Take back Texas”. Since the previous coaching staff prioritized transfer players, this new staff is relying on homegrown talent from Texas high schools, Texas transfers, and players from the south.

Since the fan base has not seen any action yet, they can only go off what coach Kinne has to say, and the Texas State fan base is already familiar with the talk and hype that the previous head coach promised. That talk never translated to the win column, and now, the fans will have to wait to see what coach Kinne has built.

“We are excited to put a brand a football that the students and the fan base can be proud of,” said head coach Kinne. “We just need you to show up, be proud, get the tailgate going, get loud when you get in the stadium, and expect to see a lot of points on that scoreboard.”

One thing that was touched on during the national signing day press conference was the character of the players coming into and staying in the program. In his time at the University of the Incarnate Word, coach Kinne started programs for his players to be community leaders and volunteers. This proves Kinne cares not only for his players’ athleticism but also their work ethic, academics, and community relations.

“You never know till you get them here,” said head coach Kinne. “You got to lean on the high school coaches, the coaches they are transferring from… you’ll never be 100% but we are confident in what we did in that area.”

Since most of the team has been constructed for the upcoming season, fans are now just waiting through spring ball and then fall ball for the new season to begin. Coach Kinne spoke on the goal for this program this season and the next couple in the future, especially when it comes to the eluded bowl game Texas State fans have been waiting for.

“I believe with this roster we can, I got to see them in practice and work with them, but our plan this year is to go to a bowl game,” said head coach Kinne. “We are working every day and we want to build a champion, that’s Sun Belt Conference champions, bowl champions, champions on and off the field. We feel that we can deliver that you this year.”

Now, all the fanbase can do is wait and see how the 2023 football season will play out, especially since all the pressure falls on the head coach and not the signees particularly. These signees are promising; many are linemen for the offense and defensive backs that will be primarily playing four-down defenses for coach Kinne. The defense has been great in recent years for Texas State football, but offense is where they fall flat. Coach Kinne loves to play an exciting tempo offense, has the pieces to make this offense successful and will have options in quarterbacks Malik Hornsby, PJ Hatter, Derek Mata, and CJ Rogers.

Texas State will now wait and see if they can “Take back Texas.”