The 2025 college football season is fewer than 100 days away and rosters are more or less set across the Lone Star State following the spring portal window. A few players on each team will have oversized impacts on their teams’ fate this year. Below, we take a look at the most intriguing player on each of the 13 FBS teams in Texas. 

Texas Longhorns – QB Arch Manning 

Who else could it be. Manning might be the most intriguing player in college football, and not just because of his last name. The burnt orange faithful believes the third-year quarterback can push the Longhorns over the hump in his first year as a starter. Texas reached the semifinal of the College Football Playoff in back-to-back seasons. If Manning hits his ceiling, the Horns might be the favorite to win the national championship. 

Texas A&M – DE Cashius Howell 

The Aggies lost a pair of pass rushers to the NFL draft in Shemar Stewart and Nic Scourton. Howell, a former Bowling Green edge rusher who transferred to Texas A&M ahead of last season, is the heir apparent at defensive end and our pick to lead the Wrecking Crew in sacks and pressures. Howell was second on the team last year in sacks with four. He told us in the spring that he wants to double that total in 2025. The Aggies need to be better defensively and an elite edge rusher helps every other member of that unit. 

Baylor – CB Caden Jenkins

The freshman and sophomore campaigns for Jenkins couldn’t have gone any differently. He was the second-highest graded defensive player on the Bears during a Freshmen All-American season in 2023. As a sophomore, five different Baylor defenders finished with a better pass coverage grade. For this defense to become elite, head coach Dave Aranda needs to his secondary to improve. His Bears were 94th in pass defense last year. Jenkins overcoming his sophomore slump and re-establishing himself as a premier cover corner in the Big 12 would go a long way. If not, Baylor must count on a couple of transfers at corner.  

Houston – QB Conner Weigman 

A new start closer to home might be what the doctor ordered for Weigman, a former five-star recruit who struggled to master Jimbo Fisher’s offense and succumbed to injury in multiple seasons as an Aggie. He starred at Cypress Bridgeland as a prep player and transferred to Houston to lead Willie Fritz’s Cougars. Weigman isn’t the only new face expected to start on offense for Houston, but he is the most important. 

TCU – WR Eric McAlister 

The Frogs return a ton of production on both sides of the ball from a team that won six of the last seven last year. One spot that was gutted by departures was wide receiver. TCU lost Jack Bech, Savion Williams, and J.P. Richardson. McAlister was a big-play threat last year as the third or fourth option. He’ll be WR1 in 2025 for returning starting quarterback Josh Hoover. 

Texas Tech – DB Cole Wisniewski 

The Red Raiders were 133rd out of 134 FBS teams last year in passing defense while allowing 308.1 yards per game through the air. The defensive unit was 122nd and the worst in Texas in scoring defense, giving up 34.8 points per game. Texas Tech made a change at defensive coordinator and overhauled the roster to make a run at the Big 12 title this year. The additions at defensive line like Lee Hunter and David Bailey get most of the attention, but we’ll go with Wisniewski, a former linebacker who became an FCS star at safety. He missed last year with an injury but earned rave reviews in spring. 

SMU – LB Alexander Kilgore 

Few teams lost more on the defensive side of the ball than SMU. The Mustangs lost both starting linebackers and all their best defensive linemen. Kilgore was a big recruiting win a few cycles ago and is expected to become the leader of the front seven in his third year on campus. 

North Texas – QB Reese Poffenbarger 

Poffenbarger, a Miami transfer, exited spring in a quarterback battle with Drew Mestemaker. Whoever wins the job will be the third starting quarterback in three years for head coach Eric Morris. The Mean Green were one of the most prolific offenses in FBS the last two seasons and quality play at quarterback is the key to continuing that success. There were too many intriguing options on the defensive side of the ball for the Mean Green as new defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity flipped the roster upon his arrival.  

UTSA – WR David Amador II

Injuries kept Amador from starring consistently for the Roadrunners last year but it was clear by the end of the season that he was the favorite target of quarterback Owen McCown. Amador caught 31 passes for 376 yards in only three starts. He did top 100 yards receiving against North Texas and in the bowl win over Coastal Carolina, however. If he can stay healthy, Amador could flirt with some single season receiving records for UTSA. 

Rice – RB Quinton Jackson 

New head coach Scott Abell's teams led FCS in rushing in seven of his past 10 seasons as a head coach because of his unique option-style offense. The Owls won’t lean on just one rusher, but Jackson left spring with the most praise at the position. He isn’t the biggest guy at 5-7 and 160 pounds, but he’s shown a penchant for explosive plays as a kick returner. 

Texas State – RB Lincoln Pare 

The loss of running back Ish Mahdi is one of the bigger holes for the Bobcats. The team will be breaking in a new quarterback, a few new receivers, and a retooled offensive line without offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich, who took a job at Texas Tech. Pare is one of the few knowns on the offensive side of the ball and, on paper, maybe that should make him less intriguing. We see it the other way, however. He led the team in rushing a couple of years ago and he’ll need to be a focal point of the offense in 2025. He was the MVP of the bowl win over North Texas and those types of performances would help Texas State become Sun Belt contenders. 

UTEP – QB Malachi Nelson 

Any time a former five-star quarterback recruit ends up at a G5 program without a ton of historic or recent success like UTEP, antennas go up and intrigue rises. The Los Angeles native began his career at USC in 2023 before transferring to Boise State last year, when he spent the season as the backup quarterback. He wasn’t named the starter at UTEP following the spring – no one was – which is intriguing within itself. The Miners are entering Year 2 of the Scotty Walden era and improved quarterback play would put the Miners in the mix for a bowl game. 

Sam Houston – WR Michael Phoenix 

The Air Raid is back in Huntsville with Phil Longo taking over as head coach of the Bearkats. Sam Houston fans should know what to expect on that side of the ball considering Longo was the offensive coordinator at the program from 2014-16. And while the defense might struggle because of the turnover of personnel and scheme, the offense could hit the ground running thanks to quarterback Hunter Watson and a few familiar faces at the skill position. Phoenix arrived from the JUCO ranks ahead of the 2024 season and ended the year with 15 catches for 219 yards and three touchdowns. His role should increase in 2025.