No other state even comes close to the state of Texas in college football. Of course, teams in other states have been dominant, Alabama and North Dakota State come to mind, but no state has the depth of talent found in Texas.

What is my evidence? At the time of this writing, there are 26 All-Americans from Texas in the small college ranks, and the NJCAA hasn’t released its list yet that is sure to add to the impressive number of superb athletes.

Need more proof? A team from the state of Texas has won a national title in five of the last six years, with Mary Hardin-Baylor and Sam Houston bringing home titles during the 2021 calendar year.

The depth of talent in the small college football ranks is a direct testament to the outstanding high school football athletes across this great state.

There are changes to this year’s team. We have decided to add a Coach of the Year and a Player of the Year on offense and defense. This allows the addition of two more deserving players to the team.

The 2021 Coach of the Year is Jerheme Urban of Trinity. Urban’s eighth season at the helm of the Tigers was his most successful leading Trinity to its first NCAA Division III playoff berth since 2011 and first conference title since 2012. The Tigers were defeated in the first round of the playoffs by the eventual national champion, Mary Hardin-Baylor. However, Trinity had the best defense in the country and was the only team to hold the Cru under 20 points all season.

The Offensive Player of the Year is Xavier Gipson from SFA. The wide receiver from Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas, Texas, was a weekly highlight reel while gaining 1,347 yards and 14 touchdowns on 74 receptions. He also averaged 11.3 yards on 15 punt returns and returned one punt for a touchdown.

The Defensive Player of the Year is Jefferson Fritz from UMHB. Fritz is one of those rare athletes who can earn All-American honors at two different positions. As a defensive back, Fritz finished the season with 64 tackles, two interceptions, and broke up eight passes while offenses tried to game plan away from the safety. He averaged 9 yards per punt as a punter while placing 19-of-37 punts inside the 20-yard line.

Coach of the Year: Jerheme Urban, Trinity

Offensive Player of the Year: Xavier Gipson, SFA

Defensive Player of the Year: Jefferson Fritz, Mary Hardin-Baylor

DCTF All-Small College Offense

DCTF All-Small College Defense