The surprise team of the 2022 campaign was Sul Ross State. The Lobos expectations entering last year weren’t very high for interim head coach Barry Derickson. But SRSU showcased a roster with talent added across the board and finished 4-6, which was enough to convince the university to remove Derickson’s interim tag. The Lobos open the 2023 season with two games against future LSC competition, which will give SRSU an idea of where it needs to improve heading into 2024.

The question is whether the Lobos can strike gold with more transfers while developing their high school players. SRSU returns most of its roster from last year and has two defensive tackles expected to transfer from Division I institutions. Strengthening the defensive line is smart for a team that finished eighth in the ASC, allowing 37.4 points per game last year.