We are 15 days away from Trinity Valley kicking off the 2022 Texas small college season against Snow College. Week 0 brings a light schedule with seven games on tap; however, the season kicks into high gear with 27 games on the schedule.

As teams begin fall camp, next week’s edition of The Blitz will feature the DCTF Preseason All-Small College team with a return to the current format on Aug. 23.

Western Athletic Conference

• ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Tarleton added former Kentucky QB Beau Allen to its roster. Allen was one of ESPN’s Top 20 QBs in 2020 and has begun practicing with the Texans.

• Joey Richards of the Abilene Reporter-News spoke with Abilene Christian coach Keith Patterson before he begins his first season as a head coach after 19 years as an assistant.

• Sam Houston received a commitment from 2023 OL Will Hutchens, who also held offers from Louisiana Tech, Arkansas State, Air Force, Army, Lamar, Northwestern State, and Tarleton.

• The Kats also received a commitment from 2023 WR Lonnie Adkism. The Corpus Christi Miller product held offers from Texas State, UTSA, Washington State, and Texas Southern.

• It was a busy recruiting week for SHSU with Katy Morton Ranch OL Zachary Session announcing his commitment. Session also held offers from Prairie View A&M, Texas Southern, Alcorn State, McNeese State, and Alabama State.

• Tarleton Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics, Lonn Reisman, has filed to run for Place 3 on the Stephenville City Council.

• Stephen F. Austin QB Trae Self and WR Xavier Gipson were named to the 2022 Walter Payton Award watch list for the offensive player of the year in FCS football. Gipson was a finalist for the prestigious award last year.

• SHSU DL Markel Perry and SFA DL B.J. Thompson are on the 2022 Buck Buchanan Award watch list for FCS defensive player of the year.

• The Bearkats are holding a walk-on tryout for the 2022 fall semester. The tryout is scheduled to begin on Aug. 22 at 9:30 a.m. Requirements for the tryout can be found here.

Southland Conference

• UIW received a commitment from 2023 OL Carlos Sanders, who is set to compete in his final season at Southern University Laboratory School in Baton Rouge, La.

• The Cardinals added a home game for the 2022 season against Faulkner. UIW is scheduled to play the NAIA school on Oct. 22.

• UIW QB Lindsey Scott Jr. and WR Taylor Grimes were named to the 2022 Walter Payton Award watch list for the offensive player of the year in FCS football.

• UIW LB Kelechi Anyalebechi is on the 2022 Buck Buchanan Award watch list for FCS defensive player of the year. He was a finalist last season.

Lone Star Conference

• Midwestern State received a bit of good news with the NCAA granting QB Dillon Sterling-Cole another year of eligibility. The Westfield High School product threw for 2,130 yards and 20 TDs last year, leading the Mustangs to the LSC title. Sterling-Cole enters into a competition with Neiko Hollins for the starting position, with QB being one of the few questions facing MSU this year.

American Southwest Conference

• Southwestern announced Ken Ralph will become the Pirates' athletic director. Ralph most recently served as director of athletics at NCAA DI Maine since 2018 and has previous DIII experience at Colorado College and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He will begin his duties at SU on Sept. 15.

Sooner Athletic Conference

• Texas Wesleyan was selected to finish second in the SAC Preseason Poll, while SAGU is picked sixth, Wayland Baptist is ninth, and Texas College rounds out the poll in tenth.

Southwestern Junior College Football Conference

• Blinn received a commitment from Josh Brown, who is transferring to the Buccaneers after playing in seven games for Troy over the last two seasons.