5 UTSA Players Texas Fans Need to Know For 2026 Matchup

The Texas Longhorns will have to keep on rolling through the 2026 season after a big-time battle against the Ohio State Buckeyes in week two. Awaiting the Longhorns is a matchup where they should be heavily favored in week three of the season.

The Longhorns welcome in a team that will be making a short road trip as the UTSA Roadrunners make their way up Interstate 35 for a game in the state's capital. The Roadrunners will travel from San Antonio to Austin for a week three battle against the Longhorns on Sept. 19.

Texas should be heavily favored in the game and predicted to win easily with its roster outmatching UTSA's. However, the Roadrunners still have some talent on their team, and the Longhorns will have to keep an eye on them. Here's a look at five players that Texas fans need to know before the Longhorns face the Roadrunners.

QB Owen McCown

UTSA Roadrunners quarterback Owen McCown throws a pass against the Army Black Knights | Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The leader of UTSA that the Longhorns will have to keep in check is veteran quarterback Owen McCown. Over the last two seasons as the Roadrunners' starting signal caller, McCown has recorded 6,861 yards and 59 touchdowns to 20 interceptions.

In 2025, McCown was one of the top quarterbacks in the American finishing sixth in passing yards, second in passing touchdowns, and third in completion percentage. The quarterback threw for 2,995 yards, completing 67.6 percent of his passes and 30 touchdowns to just seven interceptions.

RB Will Henderson III

The Roadrunners are losing their leading running back from a season ago, with Robert Henry Jr. moving on to the NFL. Now that UTSA is looking for a featured running back, the Roadrunners are likely to turn to redshirt sophomore Will Henderson III.

Henderson III found a role in his second season as the Roadrunners' secondary running back, finishing the year as UTSA's second leading rusher. The running back totaled 866 yards, averaged 6.9 yards per carry, and scored six touchdowns while splitting carries, and now Henderson III will be looked to carry more of the load.

WR AJ Wilson

The Roadrunners will also be without their leading wide receiver from a year ago, with Devin McCuin choosing to head up north and transfer to Ohio State. Now with UTSA needing a lead wide receiver in its offense, it will look towards AJ Wilson.

Wilson was UTSA's second-leading pass catcher a season ago with 31 receptions for 528 yards and four touchdowns. The 6-2 wide receiver will be a player to watch and a point of emphasis for the Longhorns defense.

LB Brandon Tucker

Flipping over to the defensive side of the ball, a name to circle in the middle of the Roadrunners' defense is linebacker Brandon Tucker. Of the UTSA linebackers, Tucker has the most returning production as the fifth leading tackler for the Roadrunners a year ago.

The redshirt senior played in all 13 games for the Roadrunners a season ago and earned a pair of starts as he tallied 39 tackles (25 solo), three tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. Now in his second season in the UTSA defense, Tucker could step into a much bigger role in 2026.

DL Jeremiah Bailey

The Roadrunners have an incoming transfer who could become one of the key pieces along the interior of their defensive line. Eastern Kentucky transfer Jeremiah Bailey heads to San Antonio as a veteran player who recorded 105 total tackles, 43 solo stops, 14 tackles for loss, six sacks, two fumble recoveries, a pair of pass breakups, and one fumble recovery in 38 career games.

In 2025, Bailey earned second-team All-United Athletic Conference after tallying 48 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, six quarterback hurries, and one fumble recovery. The new face on the side of the Roadrunners defense line will look to slow down the Longhorns rushing attack.

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