Texas State won’t walk into Austin as a serious upset threat, but the Bobcats are built to ask Texas a few pointed questions before Ohio State shows up a week later.
That’s what makes Saturday’s opener more than a routine first step. Texas should control the game, yet the matchup at 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN gives Steve Sarkisian’s team an early look at some of the same issues it could face later in the season.
The biggest one starts at quarterback with Brad Jackson. At 6-0 and 197 pounds, he brings the kind of mobility that can turn a broken play into a problem. Jackson rushed for 744 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2025, a stat line that says plenty about what happens when a defense gets impatient or loses its shape.
For Texas, that means the front has to stay disciplined. Chasing too hard can create pressure, but it can also open a seam for a quarterback who can escape and make a defense pay. Behind that, the secondary has to stay tight when Jackson extends plays, because those extra seconds often become the difference between a harmless snap and a chain-moving one.
That’s especially relevant with future mobile quarterbacks on the schedule, including Oklahoma’s John Mateer, Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt and Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed.
Texas State also brings real firepower on the outside. Beau Sparks finished with 84 catches for 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, while Chris Dawn Jr. posted 65 receptions for 1,007 yards and four scores. Texas State is the only FBS program returning two 1,000-yard receivers, and both have the ability to turn ordinary throws into big gains.
That puts extra pressure on Texas cornerbacks, who won’t just need to stay in phase. They’ll have to finish the job and tackle well.
The tempo is part of the challenge too. G.J.
Kinne’s offense wants to move fast, keep substitutions to a minimum and make defenders talk while they’re already worn down. That can matter against a Texas defense with some depth questions at linebacker and safety, especially with the afternoon heat at DKR adding another layer.
There’s also a new voice on the Texas State sideline. Will Windham is taking over as defensive coordinator after working at South Alabama, which means Sarkisian won’t have a fully established blueprint for how the Bobcats will use their current personnel.
That gives Texas a chance to be tested in real time without facing the full level of danger Ohio State will bring on Sept. 12.
And while this is not being framed as an upset watch, Texas still needs to handle it cleanly. Anything that looks close would set off immediate alarms.
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For now, the Longhorns are keeping any changes modest and firmly in the category of polish rather than reinvention. The only adjustment noted for 2026 is a small SEC logo move to the jersey collar, a reminder that Texas is willing to make tiny tweaks while drawing a hard line on the bigger uniform shift many supporters still want to see. [Read more 🡒]