There is reason for optimism in Huntsville as head coach Phil Longo enters Year 2 with Sam Houston. For one, the Bearkats will play home games at a renovated Bowers Stadium after playing what amounted to 12 road games last year. They also return over 40 players, including starting quarterback Landyn Locke, from last year’s squad that are already familiar with how Longo & Co. operate. 

There is also money. Sam Houston spent over $80 million over the last few years because of the move to the FBS and the Bowers renovations and that left virtually no money for revenue sharing in Year 1. Longo says the Bearkats are now competitive from a budget standpoint in Conference USA and that means the portal haul this year is much better than it was heading into 2025. 

“We are much more competitive this year,” Longo said of his budget. “Are we where we want to be or need to be? No. But we’re much more competitive budget-wise in the Group of Six than we were last year. Anything would be better than nothing, and for our conference, it’s a competitive budget.” 

Longo was forced to replace 58 players going into 2025 and only had 54 players on the roster last spring. This year, the Bearkats brought in 33 players from the portal and are adding a 17-man high school class to the 40-plus returners from last year. The coaching staff only lost one person. It is clear that Longo is happy to have last year in the rearview mirror. 

“I’ve never worked harder in any football season than I did last year. It was a hurricane of a season. We never slept. We recruited guys every day of the spring last year because we needed to field a team.”

Offense 

• Longo says the staff always knew that Locke was the best quarterback on the team but that he was coming off ACL surgery heading into last year and the plan was to redshirt. That changed after the halfway point of the season when Locke approached Longo and said he wanted to help the team win. 
• Those snaps have helped Locke take early control of the offense. He’s becoming a leader despite his sophomore status. Locke says he wants to be calmer in the pocket and that he played too fast at times in his first few starts. Those growing pains should help him and the Bearkats in 2026. 
• QB2 is up for grabs and Longo didn’t rule out one of the freshmen who arrive in the summer – Mason Holtzclaw or Brett Holloway – from winning the job over the summer and into fall camp. Both have been on campus in the spring and can learn the playbook before arriving in June. 
• The running back room is mostly the same with Landan “Coco” Brown and Alton McCaskill back in the fold. Ah’Marion Gaines-Smith suffered through a foot injury last year but he’s back and healthy. Jerrian Parker and freshman Kaden Winfield are also in the mix. 
• The slot position is also experienced and full of returners, such as Drew Bledsoe, Grady O’Neil, and Aviyon Smith-Mack. 
• That’s not true at outside receiver where portal additions such as Kaleb Mitchell, Alijah Cason, Kyan Berry-Johnson, and Kamari Maxwell need to step up. 
• Tight end and offensive line were other spots that were completely overhauled through the portal. It was only practice No. 5 when I was in Huntsville so the starters are not yet solidified. 

Defense 

• I didn’t get a chance to speak with defensive coordinator Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay during my stop, but Longo believes the staff continuity and improved talent should help Sam Houston on that side of the ball. 
• Longo likes the linebacker room and he mentioned Dee Ford, Brian Bates Jr., and Stacy Bey when talking about standouts at the position. 
• Longo believes that there is much more depth at defensive tackle and defensive end this year. And he likes the length along the defensive line. He also likes the improved length at corner. 
• The safety room is probably the most experienced, at least in terms of snaps at Sam Houston. Jace Arnold and Tyler Bailey are frontline players.