The 2025 college football season starts in Texas on Aug. 23, when Sam Houston travels to Western Kentucky in a Week Zero Conference USA clash between a pair of contenders from 2024. The other 12 FBS programs in the Lone Star State kickoff their respective seasons a week later. 

Dave Campbell’s Texas Football compiled a list of the 50 best players in the state and will use it to countdown the days until the start of the season. The list starts with 50-41 as we’re officially 50 days away from Week Zero. Rankings of 40-31 will be released with 40 days remaining until Week Zero, and so on. The Top 20 players will receive their own post. 

No. 50 – Sam Houston QB Hunter Watson

The redshirt senior from Celina started 12 games at quarterback for the Bearkats last season in his first year at Sam Houston. He threw for 1,811 yards and 12 touchdowns while adding 647 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. Watson is a tough, hard-nosed quarterback who was Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week twice. He’ll be directing a new offense with the arrival of head coach Phil Longo. 

No. 49 – Texas State RB Lincoln Pare

Pare was Texas State’s leading rusher in 2022 but missed the entire 2023 season with a lower body injury. He returned to lead the Bobcats with eight rushing touchdowns last year and was the MVP of the First Responder Bowl win over North Texas when he ran for 143 yards and two touchdowns. The loss of running back Ish Mahdi to Arizona should provide a larger role for Pare in 2025. 

No. 48 – Rice LB Ty Morris 

The junior from Spring Dekaney led the Owls in tackles with 56 and sacks with four. He was second on the team with 7.5 tackles for loss. He’ll be the defensive leader for Rice as Jon Kay takes over as defensive coordinator after serving as the linebackers coach over the last two seasons. Morris recorded at least five tackles in seven of the 12 games last year. 

No. 47 – UTSA TE Houston Thomas 

Thomas is a leading member in one of the best tight end rooms in the entire G5 alongside Patrick Overmyer. Thomas played in all 13 games last year and started nine times. He ranked third on the team with 34 receptions for 470 yards and three touchdowns. His 13.8 yards per catch is amongst the best for returning tight ends in the FBS who caught more than 30 passes last year.

No. 46 - Baylor LB Travion Barnes

The transfer from FIU was the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 after ranking fifth nationally in tackles (129) and third in tackles per game (11.7). He’ll form one of the best linebacker duos in the Big 12 next to Keaton Thomas, who will appear in the Top 10 of this list. Barnes missed the spring as he recovered from an injury but should be a Day 1 starter for the Bears as he replaces Matt Jones.  

No. 45 – SMU OL Logan Parr 

The former Texas Longhorn has started 26 times, mostly at left guard, over the last two seasons for SMU. He anchored an offensive line that paved the way for Brashard Smith’s 1,000-yard season and helped the Mustangs allow the third-fewest sacks in the ACC in Year 1 as a Power Four program. Parr was a Third-Team All-ACC selection last year and is a member of the All-Texas team entering 2025. 

No. 44 – Texas Tech DB Cole Wisniewski

The former linebacker turned safety was an FCS All-American in 2023 after leading all of Division I with eight interceptions. He led North Dakota State with 92 tackles and five pass breakups that year, as well. Wisniewski missed 2024 due to injury and transferred to Texas Tech in the offseason. He earned rave reviews in the spring and will start for the Red Raiders in 2025. 

No. 43 – SMU DT Terry Webb

The super senior from Galveston Ball played in 13 games last year at Texas State and finished the year with 26 tackles, including 3.5 for loss and a sack. He also recovered a fumble. Webb transferred to SMU and will start in the middle on a defensive line that is replacing all four starters. Webb is 6-foot-3, 314 pounds and can wreak havoc in opposing backfields. He began his college career at Kilgore College. 

No. 42 – Texas Tech WR Coy Eakin 

Eakin has started 19 games over the last two seasons and ranked third on the team last year with 49 catches for 652 yards. He led the squad with seven receiving touchdowns. Eakin caught at least one pass in all 13 games and multiple passes in all but one contest during a breakout 2024 campaign. He was a state champion at Stephenville and a late add to Joey McGuire’s first class as head coach of Texas Tech.  

No. 41 – Texas OLB Trey Moore

Moore arrived on the Forty Acres with 22 career sacks in 29 games while at UTSA. He played in all 16 games last year for the Longhorns and grew into Power Four football, ending the year with 10.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. Moore didn’t record a sack in his first nine games as a Longhorn but registered at least one in five of the last seven. He was the only Texas defender to force and recover multiple fumbles last year.