Tag: UTSA Roadrunners

UTSA offers Pac-12 opportunity to secure footprint in Texas

UTSA would give the Pac-12 a much needed footprint in Texas, but are they a big enough brand for the league to consider for conference expansion?

The Pac-12 is up to six schools after swooping in and snagging four programs from the Mountain West last week: Fresno State, Boise State, Colorado State, and San Diego State.

With eight teams needed at minimum in order to qualify as an FBS league, the Pac-12 has about 22 months to add at least two more programs in order to be ready for a triumphant return in 2026.

Previously we discussed why adding another Mountain West school in UNLV and an ACC powerhouse program in Memphis could make sense for commissioner Teresa Gould, but today we want to focus on what is very likely going to be a big factor for the Pac-12 during this search: getting a footprint in the state of Texas.

While there are many options that could appeal to the Pac-12, today we start by discussing the University of Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners:

The Pros

The Pac-12 knows Texas is a vital market to tap into if they want to entice media partners to shell out big money for this new endeavor. Unless SMU finds its way out of the ACC alongside Stanford and Cal, the Pac-12 is likely looking at teams in either the American Athletic Conference or Conference USA to give them a market share in Texas.

UTSA seems like a great place to start. Located in San Antonio, ranked as the 31st largest media market in the country, the Roadrunners offer the Pac-12 a chance to get their programs on TV in Texas, which should not only help with getting a better media deal, it will help with recruiting as well.

UTSA isn’t just a means to the San Antonio market, however, they are a quality football program that transitioned seamlessly into the AAC with a 9-4 overall record in 2023, including 7-1 in league play and a 35-17 win over Marshall in the Frisco Bowl.

The team is 1-2 so far in 2024 after getting blasted by Texas, 56-7, in Week 3 – but don’t let that fool you this is a very good football program who has been to a bowl game in each of the past four years under coach Jeff Traylor.

The Cons

UTSA has been great on the gridiron in the coach Traylor era, but the program has only been FBS eligible since 2012, and while the recent success is very promising the program has very little brand recognition nationally, especially when compared to other potential targets like Memphis, UNLV, Tulane, or South Florida.

Additionally, adding a team in Texas comes with added travel concerns that would likely be mitigated by bringing a travel partner into the conference as well. That is a solvable problem – even adding Memphis and UTSA together would work – but it does make them a bit trickier of an add than some of the other potential targets.

Plus, while everyone knows football is the king, UTSA is a pretty terrible men’s basketball program that would dramatically lower the overall competition level in the new look Pac-12. The Roadrunners are 229th in Ken Pomeroy’s overall program rankings dating back to 1997, far below every one of the six teams currently in the conference (Oregon State is at 112).

A league with San Diego State, Boise State, Colorado State, and potentially Memphis is a competitive basketball league, and if the Pac-12 has any interest in pursuing Gonzaga or St. Mary’s to bolster the basketball side of things – a team like UTSA may give those programs pause.

Verdict

The Pac-12 is going to end up with at least one team in Texas when all is said and done. That feels like as close to a guarantee as you’ll get in conference realignment. UTSA feels like a very strong candidate thanks to sustained success on the gridiron and a location right in the heart of a major media hub in San Antonio.

However, as a relatively new FBS program without much brand recognition, UTSA isn’t as big of a needle mover as some of the other, more established programs on the market. Plus, poor basketball results would lower the Pac-12’s standing in that regard, which could be problematic if they hope to lure Gonzaga and St. Mary’s out of the WCC.

Former LSU defensive back Denver Harris transfers to UTSA

Denver Harris is heading to his third school in as many years.

Former LSU cornerback [autotag]Denver Harris[/autotag] has found a new home.

On Tuesday, Harris committed to UTSA after entering the transfer portal following his lone season at LSU. The news was first reported by UTSA Insider’s JJ Perez.

A transfer from Texas A&M, Harris was a former five-star recruit and entered this season with high expectations after appearing in five games as a true freshman with the Aggies.

However, he dealt with suspensions during his time in College Station, and that seemed to follow him to Baton Rouge. He appeared in five games with three starts early in the year, but he never saw the field again after a win over Auburn on Oct. 14 as he was away from the team for personal reasons.

He finished his lone season at LSU with seven tackles and two pass breakups. Now, he’ll head to San Antonio with two remaining years of eligibility.

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5 things to know about Oregon’s new cornerback Kam Alexander

Get to know the Oregon Ducks’ newest transfer portal addition, former UTSA CB Kam Alexander.

All football teams have depth. But it’s the quality of depth that separates the good teams from the great ones.

When Dan Lanning was hired, one of his main objectives at Oregon was to improve the quality of depth on the roster and after two seasons, he has succeeded.

His success continues with the Ducks landing former UT-San Antonio corner Kameryn Alexander. He’ll be a graduate senior for Oregon in 2024 and will have one year of eligibility remaining.

Oregon’s defense just improved. Alexander is a cover corner and he’ll help a young defensive back room with his knowledge and experience. Alexander also brings a bit of talent as well and will fight for a starting spot at one of the corner positions.

Here are five things to know about Oregon’s new corner:

UTSA dominates Marshall for Frisco Bowl title

Marshall and UTSA both featured the sons of longtime NFL quarterbacks on Tuesday, but the Roadrunners marched over the Thundering Herd for a big victory.

The UTSA Roadrunners dominated the Marshall Thundering Herd on Tuesday for a 35-17 victory in the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl after pulling away with three touchdowns in the second quarter.

Marshall jumped out to an early lead with the first two touchdowns of the game, including a 64-yard run from junior running back Rasheen Ali. The Thundering Herd tailback finished with 92 yards on just nine carries for the afternoon.

The Marshall momentum was short-lived, however. The Roadrunners scored three touchdowns in the final 12 minutes of the first half, including a pair of short-yardage rumbles from running back Robert Henry. The junior found the end zone from three yards out early in the quarter before a 1-yard plunge in the final minute of the half gave UTSA the lead.

The Roadrunners never gave the lead back in the second half. In fact, UTSA kept the Marshall offense scoreless for the final 35 minutes of the game. UTSA quarterback Owen McCown, the son of longtime NFL journeyman Josh McCown, led the Roadrunners passing attack efficiently. He threw for 251 yards on 31 attempts, throwing two touchdowns and interceptions apiece.

McCown won the duel of the NFL sons, as Marshall quarterback Cole Pennington also has a famous father. The son of NFL quarterback Chad Pennington wasn’t as sharp as his opponent, completing just 15 of 33 passes for 258 yards.

At the end of the day, sophomore UTSA running back Rocko Griffin waltzed into the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to give his team a three-score lead, and the comeback was sealed. UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor got the sponsor’s titular coffee dumped down his back in jubilation a few minutes early, and the Roadrunners could celebrate the final win of a 9-4 season.

Here are the best images from Tuesday’s game.

WBB Recap: Ducks win fourth straight with close victory over UTSA

The Oregon women’s basketball team won its fourth straight with a 61-48 victory over UTSA.

The Oregon Ducks women’s basketball team has played its best in the fourth quarter and today’s game with Texas-San Antonio wasn’t any different.

The Ducks outscored the Roadrunners 16-11 in the final 10 minutes of action to pull away from UTSA for the 61-48 win. The victory was Oregon’s fourth straight as the Ducs improved to 8-3 overall. The Roadrunners dropped to 5-5.

Oregon was able to enjoy the debut of point guard Priscilla Williams, who had to sit out the beginning of the season due to NCAA transfer rules. It was a good thing she was able to play because Williams scored 13 points for the home Ducks. Chance Gray led the team with 14.

Whether Williams will continue to be eligible to play still remains to be seen, however. Oregon is her third team and the rules get a bit funky for multiple transfers. But in this two-week window, Williams is able to play.

It’s amazing Oregon was able to hold the Roadrunners off the scoreboard as much as they did as UTSA pounded the Ducks in rebounds to the tune of a 57-38 margin.

But UTSA was just 2-of-18 from downtown and 20-of-77 (26 percent) overall from the field. Oregon had a huge advantage at the free throw line as the Ducks hit 19-of-26, while UTSA was just 6-of-7. That 13-point difference at the charity ultimately was the margin in the final score.

Now the Ducks will now travel to St. George, Utah to participate in the Trailblazer Classic Dec. 19 and 21. Oregon opens with Utah Tech before playing Oklahoma State.

Alabama set to host UTSA EDGE transfer Trey Moore for visit this weekend

According to On3Sports, Alabama is set to host UTSA edge rusher Trey Moore for a visit this weekend. Moore was originally scheduled to visit Ohio State.

On Thursday, On3Sports was able to confirm that Alabama will host UTSA EDGE transfer Trey Moore for a visit. Moore was originally scheduled to take an official visit to Ohio State.

Moore, a Texas native, has spent the past three seasons playing for the Roadrunners. In three seasons, Moore tallied 102 tackles, 22 sacks, and three forced fumbles.

His most productive season came this past season. Moore recorded 45 tackles, 14 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one interception.

Moore’s 14 sacks helped him finish tied for third in college football during the 2023 regular season. He was as disruptive of an edge rusher as there was in the entire country this past season.

Along with Moore, Alabama will also host Texas A&M defensive line transfers Lebbeus “LT” Overton and Fadil Diggs for visits. The Crimson Tide have also been in contact with Tennessee EDGE transfer Tyler Baron.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football’s involvement in the NCAA transfer portal.

UTSA quarterback Frank Harris has career night in win over USF

What a night for the senior quarterback.

While rumors float around about the future of head coach Jeff Traylor, the UTSA Roadrunners are closing in on an AAC title game berth.

On Friday night in San Antonio, UTSA hosted South Florida with the Roadrunners’ undefeated conference record on the line. Could they keep it rolling this week? Quarterback Frank Harris made sure that it did. His record performance kept them perfect and helped set up a major game next week with Tulane.

Harris set a UTSA school record with 523 total yards of offense. He threw for 411 yards on 46 passes. The southpaw also ran for 112 yards on 10 carries which breaks down to a blistering 11.2 yards per attempt. Six of the seven touchdowns scored on Friday night belong to Harris with three passing and three rushing.

Following the game Coach Traylor praised the play of his quarterback, who finished his final home game in spectacular fashion. “You couldn’t have written a better script to send Frank Harris off after all he’s done here the last four years. You seriously couldn’t have.”

The head coach was also asked about the Texas A&M head coaching rumors following the UTSA 49-21 win over South Florida. He did his best to deflect the question and put the focus back on his quarterback and the 18 seniors playing in their final home game.

“It couldn’t have been any better for me and God gets all the credit for that,” Harris stated on Friday night. “I really don’t know what to say other than giving Him all the glory.”

We shall see what the future holds for the all-time leading passer in UTSA history, but he still has potentially three games left in his career. Next week the Roadrunners head to the Big Easy to face off with Tulane Green Wave. Should Tulane defeat Florida Atlantic, both teams will be undefeated in AAC play. They meet on Black Friday at 2:30 p.m. CT.

The other undefeated team in the AAC is SMU. The Mustangs will face off with the Memphis Tigers on Saturday. A win could throw a huge wrench in the title game picture. As of now, we have Memphis, SMU, Tulane, and UTSA battling it out for two spots.

Big 12 week 1 predictions: West Virginia with a tough road matchup vs. Penn State

West Virginia goes on the road in week one to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions in a pivotal nonconference matchup. Here are this week’s Big 12 picks.

There aren’t a lot of big-time matchups in the Big 12 in week one, but there are a few intriguing contests. West Virginia goes on the road to take on Penn State. Texas Tech is the only other Big 12 team playing away from home this week, but take on Wyoming in what could be an interesting contest.

Houston hosts UTSA, a team that’s started to gain national recognition among Group of Five teams.

UCF got the Big 12 started off right with a huge win over Kent State on Thursday night. John Rhys Plumlee had 371 combined passing and rushing yards and four total touchdowns in their 56-6 win over Kent State.

Can the conference keep things going starting Friday night with Kansas hosting Missouri State?

There will be some big-time performances this week. Here are our Big 12 predictions for week one.

Countdown to Kickoff: 7 best Group of Five players

The countdown to kickoff continues with the seven best Group of Five players in the country.

Through College Sports Wire’s countdown to kickoff, the Power Five has been overwhelming the focus, and rightfully so. It’s time to look at the Group of Five and its top seven players entering this fall.

The Group of Five’s place in today’s college football landscape is interesting. Thanks to the transfer portal, many of the top players from Group of Five player programs eventually end up at Power Five programs. This was one major worry about the transfer portal and its potential impacts.

There are Groups of Five stars who still have chosen to stay at their respective programs – which is excellent news for college football. While the Group of Five has rarely produced true competitors for national championships, it remains a vital part of college football and what makes the sport special.

This caliber of players choosing to stay at Group of Five programs will only ensure that college football, despite widespread changes, remains healthy from top to bottom.

Honorable mentions for players who just missed the cut in today’s list include Southern Mississippi’s Frank Gore Jr., Colorado State’s Tory Horton, and Western Kentucky’s Malachi Corley,

UTSA star WR Zakhari Franklin is available; Can Will Stein and the Ducks land him?

UTSA WR Zakhari Franklin is now one of the top players in the portal. Oregon OC Will Stein has a close relationship. Might the Ducks reach out?

There are a lot of very talented wide receivers currently on the Oregon Ducks roster, from Troy Franklin to Tez Jonson; from Kris Hutson to Traeshon Holden.

That doesn’t mean that head coach Dan Lanning, and particularly offensive coordinator Will Stein don’t want to add more if they have the ability, though. Lanning has consistently said this spring that they will always look to add more talent if it becomes available.

It just so happens that one of the most talented players in the nation just became available via the transfer portal, and the Ducks’ offensive coordinator might have as good of a relationship as anyone in the nation.

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Former UTSA Roadrunner’s wide receiver Zakhari Franklin entered the transfer portal over the weekend, becoming one of the hottest names on the open market. Franklin leaves UTSA as the school’s all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.

Will Stein spent three seasons with Franklin at UTSA, where the WR saw a massive breakout, scoring 37 touchdowns over those three years.

The Ducks are clearly in the market for a transfer portal WR, which has been highlighted by their recruitment of former USC WR Gary Bryant Jr., who is projected to commit to the Ducks in the coming weeks.

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Might they also try and add Franklin as well?

It may make the room a bit crowded, but it’s hard to argue against the notion that the former UTSA star’s presence would up the level of talent in that room significantly and give QB Bo Nix yet another elite WR to target in the offense.

Keep your ears to the ground for an Oregon offer on this one, it seems more than likely that they reach out in the coming days, if they haven’t already.

Zakhari Franklin’s Transfer Portal Profile