Bobcat future stars break out at showcase

TXST FOOTBALL

The Maroon and Gold Spring Showcase gave a glimpse of the future of the Bobcat program as the team clashed in several offensive and defensive scrimmages.

While sophomore quarterback Brad Jackson, senior wide receiver Beau Sparks and senior Chris Dawn Jr and several starters were held out, many of the unknown players were able to make a name for themselves in the hopes of securing a starting role.

“That’s what the springs are all about, getting those young guys a lot of reps,” Jackson said.”It was good for Shaker [Resig] and Gavin [Parkhurst] , allowing them to get in there, operate the system.

“Then really for the new receivers we got coming in, we have three early graduate freshmen who are still picking up the speed of the game. It’s kind of moving still fast for them, but they’ve gotten a lot better in the spring and I’m super happy to see them. Then just building the offensive line and the running backs. So those guys are just continuing to get reps.”

Here are some of the key moments that stood out at the spring showcase.

Running Backs breakout The dismissal of projected starter Greg Burrell threw a wrench into the Bobcat running back room, which looks to move forward.

With Torrence Burgess Jr, the Bobcats leading returner in rushing yards, being held out, the scrimmage offered an opportunity for the room to showcase their talent.

One of the standouts from the spring game was sophomore running back Taji Atkins.

After the offense had a slow start at the beginning of the scrimmages, Atkins was able to break off a couple of big runs to march the Bobcats down the field.

“We needed someone to spark us on offense, make that play, and he broke it up the middle,” Kinne said. “He might have scored, it’s hard to tell. But he just has so much speed. He reminds me a lot of Ismail Mahdi. Even in the recruiting process, that was my comparison the whole time. He’s just a really good player.”

Another running back who had a standout day was redshirt freshman running back Davian ‘Diamond’ Jackson.

Transitioning over from wide receiver to running back, Jackson also broke off a couple of big runs for the offense.

“He’s handled it really, well,” Jackson said. “He had a couple of explosive plays out today. I love all those guys and they’re all super talented and more than capable of being that running back one. I’m just super excited to see what comes from going forward.”

Fired up defense With all the talk the Bobcat offense has received over the last three seasons, the defense has taken some of the heat for the lack of success, particularly during the 2025 season after giving up an average of 382.9 yards per game and 29 points per game.

But the Bobcat defense had the Bobcat offense on their toes, coming up with several key stops including two interceptions.

“I thought the defense came out [to play],” Kinne said. “Obviously, they also got after us, two picks, one pick-six, to start the scrimmage. That’s good.”

Kinne highlighted the play of redshirt freshmen Jayden Bradley and Cordarion Powell who helped contribute to the interceptions.

“The same guys that I’ve been talking about all spring Jayden Bradley, Cordarian Powell, coming out there to get the first two plays to start the scrimmage,” Kinne said. “It’s good to have them come out here [despite] never really playing meaningful snaps and performing like that was really good.”

Future of the Wide Receiver room If you thought the Bobcats will be hurting after the senior years of both Dawn and Sparks, the showcase proved the cupboard is plenty full and stocked with young talent.

One of the early standouts of the showcase was freshman La’Keyleon Graves, the Bobcats’ highest rated recruit and the first-ever four-star player to commit to Texas State.

Graves made a couple of spectacular touchdown catches at the showcase, as Kinne was proud of the freshman and the strides he had made during spring.

“He was one of the guys coming into today I was a little nervous for,” Kinne said. “He’s got all this pressure early as a 4-star. For him to come out and be able to just make any plays, I thought was really good for his confidence going into the summer. From practice one to practice 15, I think he’s probably made the biggest jump on the team. That’s what you want to see.”