Aug 103 min read

Following Big Storylines for Each Group of 5 Texas Team

Group of Five — ©Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports

Things have changed for the Group of 5 Texas teams during the offseason just as they did for the state's Power Four schools.

Many Group of 5 teams have to adjust to a new-look conference as they continue to compete. Here are some storylines to follow as they try to do so in 2024.

North Texas Mean Green

Finding Playmakers, Implementing the Offense

UNT went 5-7 in its first year under Eric Morris's guidance and was one of few Texas teams to miss out on a bowl game. The Mean Green took a while to settle on a permanent starting quarterback as Chandler Rogers snagged the job from Stone Earle midseason and the offense turned to the running game more than it would have preferred. Still, the Mean Green averaged more than 35 points per game.

This year, North Texas will be without Rogers, leading rushers Ayo Adeyi and Oscar Adaway III and leading receivers Ja'Mori Maclin and Trey Cleveland. TCU transfer Chandler Morris expects to take over at quarterback, and there are quite a few transfers entering the fold that may allow Morris to run a more comfortable, pass-heavy scheme. The big question is which players will be the ones to emerge?

North Texas could also use more players stepping up on defense. The team will not go far this season if it continues to allow more than 37 points per game.

Rice Owls

Bowl Game Sterak

Rice has a chance to do something it has only done once in program history: make a bowl game for a third consecutive season. The last time it happened was in 2014, and for a program that has been around since 1914 and has just a few winning seasons (only three of which included 10 wins), that's a huge deal.

The Owls went 6-6 in the regular season a year ago, following a 5-7 season that included a bowl because of academic factors due to a lack of truly bowl-eligible teams. Despite the overall results in conference play, Rice was competitive against the elite teams in the American Athletic Conference—losing to the league's top teams, Tulane and SMU, by a combined 7 points.

There will be plenty of holes to fill as quarterback JT Daniels and star wide receivers Luke McCaffery and Austin Trammell move on, but the program has taken some big steps since Mike Bloomgren took over after a 1-11 season. A third consecutive bowl appearance, especially with the current circumstances, would be another step in the right direction.

Texas State Bobcats

Building Off Progress

In his first year leading the Bobcats program, GJ Kinne guided Texas State to its best season in program history. The current Texas State program has only been around since 2012, and last year began with a massive victory over Power Five Baylor.

The Bobcats were in a position to compete for the Sun Belt Conference title but couldn't finish the job. There were several changes for the team in the offseason, including the departure of quarterback TJ Finley, but Texas State should still have a competitive roster. Can Kinne and company take the next step in building the Bobcats' program into a consistent contender?

UTEP Miners

The Arrival of Scotty Walden

UTEP will have a new head coach patrolling the sidelines after luring Scotty Walden away from Austin Peay. Walden had a winning record in each of his four seasons leading the Austin Peay program, and they finished in the top 10 of the FCS last year with a 9-3 record.

UTEP has been one of the least successful Texas teams in college football over recent years, reaching just one bowl game since 2016. What kind of effect will Walden have in Year 1?

UTSA Roadrunners

Momentum of a Bowl Win

UTSA got its first-ever bowl win against Marshall in last season's Frisco Bowl. The win was the culmination of a long building process from head coach Jeff Traylor, and the team did it without star quarterback Frank Harris.

The Roadrunners will have some new faces seeing the field this year but are still expected to compete in the American Athletic Conference race. Traylor has built conference championship teams in the past. Can he do it again in just the second year in the conference and with a good amount of roster turnover?