Texas Longhorns Vs. Sam Houston State Bearkats Way-Too-Early Preview: Players to Watch

The Texas Longhorns are seen as one of the perennial national championship contenders, heavily boosted by the strong roster Steve Sarkisian and staff have built.

For Sam Houston State Bearkats, on the other hand, their 2025 team includes many new faces on the roster after facing heavy roster turnover following a head coaching change in the winter, along with a few key returns.

However, as much as the Longhorns will have the talent advantage when they face off against Sam Houston State in late September, no team can fully be counted out. Here are five players to keep an eye out for when the two teams face off in Austin on Sept 20:

Dec 19, 2024; New Orleans, LA, USA; Sam Houston State Bearkats wide receiver Simeon Evans (3) rushes in for a touchdown against Georgia Southern Eagles defensive back Marc Stampley II (22) during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

1. Hunter Watson - QB

Watson returned to the Bearkats for his final season of eligibility, and it was a key return for new head coach Phill Longo to retain an experienced quarterback like Watson. The redshirt senior, a year ago, started 12 games for Sam Houston, where he threw for 1,811 yards and 12 touchdowns. The Longhorns will have to be prepared as Watson is also a threat with his legs, rushing the ball for 168 carries for 647 yards and 9 rushing touchdowns, leading the team in those three rushing categories a year ago.

2. Qua'Vez Humphreys - WR

The Bearkats' wide receiver room lost three key receivers, which now gives Qua'Vez Humphreys more opportunities in 2025. Even with three receivers ahead of him, Humphreys still managed to carve out decent production in 2024 with 20 receptions and was the second on the team for receiving yards with 385 and receiving touchdowns with four. The Longhorns' secondary will have to key in on Humphreys and minimize his impact in the game.

3. Jerrian Parker - RB

With Sam Houston looking for someone to replace their two leading running backs, they brought in sophomore Jerrian Parker from the transfer portal. As a freshman at Southern Illinois, Parker was productive with the limited carries, having played in 10 games and starting in five. In those 10 games, Parker had just 77 carries for 281 yards and one rushing touchdown, with Parker leading the team in both carries and rushing yards. The Texas defense will need to be ready to contain Parker, who will be getting a bulk of the carries in the Bearkats' offense.

4. Keelan Cox - DL

Redshirt-senior Keelan Cox has had many stints in his college career, starting at a junior college, before transferring out to Alabama, followed by a year with Wyoming, and then with Texas Southern before arriving at Sam Houston. With Texas Southern, Cox was the most productive with an All-SWAC second team selection after a season with 37 tackles, nine tackles-for-loss, six sacks, two forced fumbles, and even an interception. Cox will play a big role in trying to stop the Longhorns' rushing attack and pressuring Arch Manning.

5. Trey Harris- DB

The Bearkats brought in another intriguing transfer in defensive back Trey Harris from Cornell for his final year of eligibility. Harris primarily played at safety and brings a lot of playing experience to the Bearkats' defense, as in three seasons he finished his career at Cornell with 128 tackles, 14 pass deflections, and three forced fumbles. It'll be interesting to see how Harris stacks up against the Longhorn receivers in pass coverage with his 6'4 frame that will certainly help him stay close.