Note: This story is featured in the 2026 edition of Dave Campbell's Texas Football's Summer Magazine, which you can order here.

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DCTF’S TAKE  

Jeff Traylor’s program has reached a bowl game in six straight seasons and holds recent wins over American Conference elites such as Memphis in 2024 and Tulane in 2025. New offensive coordinator Rick Bowie should pair well with multiple year starting quarterback Owen McCown and UTSA will be in the mix in a wide-open American Conference.    

But UTSA football has been a tale of two teams since the start of 2024. The Roadrunners are 10-2 at home and 2-10 on the road in the regular season over the last two years and that’s led to a .500 mark in conference play over that span. The non-conference slate includes trips to Texas State and Texas, but the conference schedule was favorable outside of a visit to Tulane.  

THE OFFENSE  

Rick Bowie was hired as the new offensive coordinator at UTSA – the fourth since Jeff Traylor arrived as the head coach ahead of the 2020 season – to make the Roadrunners offense simpler, faster, and smarter. He’s led high-octane offenses at Western Kentucky and Abilene Christian over the last two years and cut his teeth on a Houston staff led by Dana Holgorsen and Jake Spavital.  

“We like to say we’re an aggressive, attacking style of offense,” Bowie explained in the spring. “Whatever we need to do to be aggressive and attacking, we’ll do. We do think the defense aligns to us, so we want to make sure that we’re always pushing the pedal.”  

QB Owen McCown has started the last 26 games under center for UTSA and has thrown for 6,419 yards and 55 touchdowns to just 17 interceptions since the start of 2024. He dealt with injuries in 2025 and was forced to have double hernia surgery following the season, which made him miss the spring. McCown’s rushing output dropped from 340 yards in 2024 to 24 yards in 2025 because he was never fully healthy after Week 2. Brandon Tennison will be QB2 and Max Gerlich is QB3.  

Running the ball is part of the identity at UTSA and that is etched into the Triangle of Toughness that Traylor holds so dear. So, while Bowie is known as one of the Air Raid disciples who loves to throw the pill around, he’ll rely on a talented running back room to provide balance for Owen McCown.  

That starts with Will Henderson III, who averaged 6.9 yards a carry and was second on the team last year with 866 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Brandon High Jr. returns to UTSA after one season at Cal. He started a pair of games for the Roadrunners in 2024, leading the squad with eight touchdowns that season. A’Marion Peterson is RB3 and Frankie Arthur Jr. is likely RB4.  

“We’re doing whatever is needed to win us the game,” Bowie said. “I know I’m seen as one of the wacky Air Raid guys that wants to throw it all the time, but that just depends on what the defense gives you and we will have answers built in to beat the defense regardless of what they give us.”  

The Roadrunners have continuity and experience along the offensive line and that should help McCown stay healthy and the running game to flourish. Ben Rios returns at center. The right side of the offensive line is also back with Darrell Jones at right guard and DeAndre Marshall at right tackle. Jaylen Garth, who was the starting right tackle heading into last year, received a seventh year of eligibility after suffering an injury and was penciled in as the starting left guard during the spring. Jonah Miller emerged as the favorite to start at left tackle.  

UTSA also lost its leading receiver when Devin McCuin transferred to Ohio State in the offseason. AJ Wilson and David Amador II return after combining for 76 catches for 971 yards and eight touchdowns last year. DJ Allen Jr., Mekhi Anderson, and Jamel Hardy Jr. should flourish in Bowie’s offensive system. Texas Tech transfer TJ West was praised in the spring, as was true freshman Prince Hall.  

BY THE NUMBERS  

45.3 – Average number of points scored in wins for UTSA. That number dropped to 24.2 in the losses. The Roadrunners were 14th nationally in scoring offense.  

79 – Number of tackles for loss allowed by the UTSA offensive line, which was 114th nationally and 11th in the American Conference.   

30 – Number of touchdown passes by QB Owen McCown, which was tied for sixth nationally with Carson Beck and Dante Moore. He only threw seven interceptions.  

KEEP AN EYE ON  

The tight end room was gutted by the transfers of Houston Thomas to Texas A&M and Patrick Overmyer to Houston. That duo combined for 61 catches for 691 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Add WR Devin McCuin’s transfer to Ohio State and the Roadrunners lost three of their top five pass catchers from 2025.  

Ty Rupe might be the next great Roadrunner tight end. He’s a 6-foot-7 redshirt freshman whose parents were both All-American athletes at Texas A&M. Miles Campbell, Isaiah Butler, and Brandon Young Jr. are also in the mix at the position.  

BREAKOUT CANDIDATES  

RB Brandon High – High is a redshirt junior from Spring who transferred to Cal from UTSA after leading the Roadrunners with eight rushing touchdowns in 2024. He struggled to find carries with the Golden Bears in 2025 and is back in the Alamo City where he’ll form a 1-2 punch with Will Henderson III. 

WR Jamel Hardy Jr. – The former district MVP at Dallas Lincoln is poised for a breakout season in his fourth season playing for UTSA and should thrive in the new offensive system. Hardy has caught 23 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns over the last two seasons in San Antonio.  

PROJECTED STARTERS  

QB 13 Owen McCown 6-1, 190, Sr. Rusk 

RB 11 Will Henderson III 5-10, 185, Soph. Gilmer 

WR 18 David Amador II 6-0, 195, Jr. Galena Park North Shore  

WR 15 DJ Allen Jr. 5-11, 190, Sr. Gladewater  

WR 84 AJ Wilson 6-2, 190, Sr. Huntsville  

TE 85 Ty Rupe 6-7, 245, Rs-Fr. Grand Oaks  

LT 75 Jonah Miller 6-8, 290, Sr. Tucson, Ariz.  

LG 71 Jaylen Garth 6-5, 310, Sr. Port Neches-Groves  

C 57 Ben Rios 6-6, 295, Sr. San Antonio Central Catholic 

RG 74 Darrell Jones 6-4, 340, Sr. Baltimore, Md.  

RT 70 Deandre Marshall 6-7, 325, Sr. San Antonio Central Catholic  

K 92 Michael Petro 5-9, 180, Jr. Flower Mound Marcus 

THE DEFENSE  

Defensive coordinator Jess Loepp is changing things up entering his sixth season as UTSA’s defensive coordinator. With the new reality of roster turnover, which has impacted the Roadrunner defense as much as any unit in the state, Loepp focused on simplifying the language and communication while making minor tweaks to the system that he believes will help the one-year rosters that populate G6 reality.  

“We’ve organized the entire defense better than it’s ever been because you’re going to have new kids every year,” Loepp explained. “As far as how we coach, we haven’t changed because I believe we’ve always done it the right way. We coach them hard. We push them. But we’ve always loved our kids and pushed them to develop on and off the field, and that hasn’t changed.”  

Loepp must figure out how to build consistency and a defense that travels and that’s one of the main reasons for the schematic and verbiage alterations. The unit allowed 18 points per game in seven wins last year compared to 41.5 in losses last season. The defense allowed nearly a touchdown more on the road than at home.  

The Roadrunners ranked eighth in the American in scoring defense last year at 28.8 points allowed per game, but the discrepancy between the wins and losses reveals the Jekyll and Hyde nature that has plagued the UTSA football program since the start of 2024. When it’s good, it’s good. When it’s bad, it’s bad. 

“I think the biggest changes you’ll probably see are just some of the coverage change-ups we’re going to do. We’re trying to evolve and change the picture quite a bit more,” Loepp said. “But we’re still hanging our hat on perfect effort and physical toughness.”  

The cornerback room might be the strength of the defense, starting with twins Ahamad Chapman and Asaad Chapman. Ahamad was at UTSA in 2025 but should see more playing time in 2026 while Asaad was one of the highest-rated JUCO players in the country last season. RJ Lester and Lawrence Brown Jr. are also in the mix at cornerback. Loepp called it the deepest cornerback room he’s had at UTSA.  

Nose tackle is another position where the Roadrunners feel confident about the talent and the depth. Jameian Buxton will start with Jusiah Sampleton as the primary reserve. Buxton has played in 36 games over the last three years at UTSA and weighed 325 pounds in the spring.  

Redshirt senior Tai Leonard is the other known commodity along the defensive line after starting nine times last year. He’ll start at one of the defensive end positions in UTSA’s odd-man front but who emerges as the frontline starter opposite of him was anyone’s guess after spring. Transfers to watch include Eddy Smith, Collins Acheampong, Jeremiah Bailey, and Drenon Fite III.  

Cam Cooper returns from injury and should be the team’s best pass rusher. There was a shakeup at linebacker after losing Shad Banks Jr. and Kendall Blackshire to graduation. Owen Pewee is moving to middle linebacker and former reserve Brandon Tucker should slide into the other starting position.  

Safety is a question mark, especially because of a spring practice injury to Joel Rogers. Nate Robinson Jr., Xavier Walton, and Cam Upshaw Jr. are names to know. Bryce Grays is the favorite to start at nickel, which UTSA calls the Money Backer.  

BY THE NUMBERS  

41.5 – The average number of points allowed by UTSA during its six losses. The Roadrunners only allowed 18 points per game in the seven wins.  

50 – Number of passes broken up by the UTSA defense in 2025, which led the American Conference. The Roadrunners were second in passes defended with 61.  

34.59 – Percentage of third downs converted by opponents against UTSA, which was second in the conference behind East Carolina and was top 30 nationally.  

KEEP AN EYE ON  

UTSA is quietly known for producing elite pass rushers at outside linebacker and the elite Roadrunner defensive units of the past boasted an all-conference player off the edge. Think Trey Moore or Jimmori Robinson or Clarence Hicks during the Jeff Traylor era and Marcus Davenport and Jason Neill before them. 

Losing Cam Cooper early in the season hurt the Roadrunner pass rush last year. He’s back alongside transfers Elijah Baldwin and Dylan Spencer. DC Jess Loepp says UTSA won’t be shy to bring extra pressure from the second and third level if that’s what is required to disrupt opposing quarterbacks.  

BREAKOUT CANDIDATES  

CB RJ Lester Jr. – The 6-foot-3 cornerback from Oklahoma State sat out the 2025 season but should be a major factor for UTSA in a crowded cornerback room that Jeff Traylor believes could be the strength of the defense. Lester played in 16 games over two seasons with the Cowboys.  

S Nate Robinson Jr. – An FCS All-American from Marist who should figure into the rotation at safety, which is one of the main question mark positions on the team heading into the fall. Robinson was a first-team All-Pioneer League selection after recording 64 tackles, 4 INTS, and 11 pass breakups in 2025.  

PROJECTED STARTERS  

DE 94 Eddy Smith 6-6, 275, Soph. Pearland Dawson  

NT 98 Jameian Buxton  6-2, 325, Sr. New Orleans, La.   

DE 99 Tai Leonard 6-3, 260, Sr. Galena Park North Shore   

OLB 41 Cam Cooper 6-3, 245, Jr. Dayton  

LB  23 Brandon Tucker 5-11, 225, Sr. DeSoto  

LB 13 Owen Pewee 6-2, 205, Sr. Cypress Park  

Money 26 Bryce Grays 6-1, 205, Sr. Fort Bend Christian Academy  

CB 18 Ahamad Chapman 6-2, 175, Soph. San Bernadino, Calif.   

CB 17 Asaad Chapman 6-3, 195, Jr. San Bernadino, Calif.   

S  25 Nate Robinson Jr. 6-1, 200, Jr. San Antonio Warren  

S  14 Joel Rogers 6-0, 200, Soph. St. Francisville, La.  

P 20 Caile Hogan 6-1, 210, Jr. Melbourne, Australia