Previewing Utah State football’s 2026 schedule: Texas State Bobcats

LOGAN, Utah – Utah State returns to the gridiron following its lone bye week to face the Texas State Bobcats.

The Aggies and Bobcats will kick off at 5:30 p.m. MT on Saturday, Oct. 24, at UFCU Stadium in San Marcos, Texas.

RELATED: Previewing the Washington State Cougars

Fall Campin’!⛺️

🎟️: https://t.co/ogxb0J9CUS pic.twitter.com/ziQyOFxjTU

— USU Football (@USUFootball) August 6, 2026

It is the second meeting between the programs. USU handled TXST 38-7 in 2012, the first year the Bobcats competed at the FBS level.

The Bobcats arrive as a vastly different program than the one the Aggies throttled 14 years ago.

Now in their first season as a Pac-12 member after leaving the Sun Belt, Texas State brings a high-powered offense quarterbacked by one of the most productive passers outside the Power Four — and a defense still searching for an identity.

For Utah State, the game represents a measuring-stick opportunity coming out of the bye.

Previewing the Texas State Bobcats

Head coach G.J. Kinne enters his fourth season leading the program and remains one of the youngest coaches in FBS at 37.

The Bobcats have enjoyed tremendous success under the former NFL quarterback. Kinne guided Texas State to eight wins and a bowl victory in his first season — both program firsts.

TXST slipped to 7-6 last season and finished fifth in the Sun Belt Conference West Division.

The Bobcats overcame a slow start to win their final four games, including a 41-10 Armed Forces Bowl victory over Rice.

𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐏 | 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

🗣️ Hear from head coach 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐨 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 following the Aggies’ first practice of fall camp.#AggiesAllTheWay | #ShowMe pic.twitter.com/1chitTdRjt

— USU Football (@USUFootball) August 5, 2026

Texas State returns 70% of an offensive group that ranked second in the Sun Belt at 36 points per game last season, according to ESPN. The headliner is quarterback Brad Jackson, whose 2025 QBR rated him as a top-four Group of Six signal-caller.

The Bobcats will need to rebuild a defense that finished in the middle of the Sun Belt pack in 2025. That unit was starved for takeaways, managing just three multi-turnover games.

Texas State Offense

Jackson gives Texas State one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the new-look Pac-12.

He was second in the Sun Belt last season, throwing for 3,224 yards, 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing 71% of his passes (251-of-352).

🚨Texas State Quarterback Brad Jackson has the NFL ATTENTION…

RS Freshman Season 3,224 Passing 21 TDs… 744 Rushing 17 TDs…

Sophomore Season Loading… Except him to be even BETTER pic.twitter.com/mgzcMvlCU9

— Life and Football (@LifeandBall) July 11, 2026

Sparks, a former Utah Tech freshman All-American, earned first-team All-Sun Belt honors after leading the program with 84 catches for 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns. His 84 receptions set a Texas State single-season record, and his 1,200 yards rank second in program history.

It’s not talked about enough how Texas State was able to keep both Brad Jackson and Beau Sparks 👀

Watch out for TSU as a G5 Playoff Spot contender pic.twitter.com/jWKYweXYSm

— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) May 5, 2026

Dawn Jr. was a third-team All-Sun Belt selection while starting 12 games. He finished with 65 receptions for 1,007 yards and four scores.

Redshirt sophomore Kylen Evans returns after registering 15 catches for 211 yards and a touchdown last season. The 6-foot-2 wideout gives the Bobcats a big-bodied target.

Mississippi State transfer Davian Jackson adds depth as a pass-catcher. The redshirt freshman was rated the No. 22 wide receiver in the 2025 recruiting class but is listed as a running back on the Bobcats’ roster. He did not see the field at Mississippi State last year.

Questions remain about running back depth. Torrance Burgess Jr. returns from injury, and Jaylen Jenkins has shown few signs of developing into a feature back.

Blake Smith leads the tight end position. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound redshirt senior caught 10 passes for 105 yards as injuries limited his production.

The offensive line is expected to be a strength after Texas State added three Power Four transfers to join two returning starters.

Texas State  Defense

Texas State’s defense often takes a backseat to its fast-paced offense, but the unit remains critical to the Bobcats’ success.

Linebacker Ayden Jones enters his second season with the program after transferring from Prairie View A&M, giving the Bobcats speed in the middle of their defense.

Jones played in 12 games, starting nine, and finished with 56 tackles.

The defensive line has been almost entirely remade, with the Bobcats adding four junior college players and six transfers.

𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℕ𝕖𝕨 𝔼𝕣𝕒 𝔸𝕨𝕒𝕚𝕥𝕤 👀

Updated game times & network selections for the season are here! 📅⏲️

🎟️: https://t.co/ogxb0J9CUS pic.twitter.com/pLBnyKlnQw

— USU Football (@USUFootball) May 27, 2026

Former McNeese defensive tackle Philip Bradford headlines the group. He recorded 40 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks from the interior last season.

Defensive end DonTerry Russell returns after finishing second on the team with 4.5 sacks in 2025. He enters the season as a Phil Steele first-team All-Pac-12 selection.

Cornerback Dexter Ricks Jr. transferred from Liberty after playing in 12 games last season. The redshirt senior brings 37 games of experience to a secondary badly in need of leadership.

Safety Ryan Nolan, the 2025 leading tackler, returns after recording 79 tackles, two passes defended and two quarterback hurries in 12 starts

The Bottom Line

The Bobcats present Utah State with a clear challenge: contain Jackson and a proven receiving corps, and test a rebuilt defensive front that is talented on paper but largely unproven as a unit.

Texas State’s lack of turnover production in 2025 could be an exploitable weakness, but only if the Aggies’ offense can sustain drives against a defensive line loaded with new additions.

Coming out of the bye, this is the kind of game that can reveal how far Utah State has come — and how much work remains.

Week 8 | Utah State Aggies @ Texas State Bobcats

Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026

Venue: UFCU Stadium

Location: San Marcos, Texas

Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. MT

What channel is Utah State football on?

The USU football game against Texas State is available on CBS Sports Network.

Listen to the Utah State Aggies on KSL Sports Zone

Following Utah State football with KSL Sports Zone

The Aggies open the 2026 season against Idaho State on Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium on September 5. Kickoff is at 5 p.m. MT.

Find Utah State football’s entire 2026 schedule here.

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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.

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