3 UTSA Offensive Players to Watch vs. Texas

From first-time starters to a six-year player, UTSA's offense will work to give Texas' defense a hard time in the third week of the 2024 season.

Dec 19, 2023; Frisco, TX, USA; UTSA Roadrunners head coach Jeff Traylor holds the trophy towards his players after winning the Frisco Bowl against the Marshall Thundering Herd at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports / Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports

The No. 2 Texas Longhorns will host the UTSA Roadrunners on Saturday in Austin, looking to move to 3-0 on the season.

Though UTSA is coming out of a first-time bowl win at the Frisco Bowl against the Marshall Thundering Herd, the Roadrunners lost some of its key players. The 2023 leaders in receiving and passing, Joshua Cephus and Frank Harris, both played their last game for the program on Dec. 19.

The Roadrunner offense scored 53 touchdowns and 415 points in the 2023 season, led by running back Robert Henry with 11.

But despite losing key offensive players, head coach Jeff Traylor still has talent under his wing.

Here's who might cause the biggest trouble for defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski’s lineup on Saturday.

Sep 15, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; UTSA Roadrunners running back Robert Henry (20) celebrates after his touchdown against the Army Black Knights during the first half at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

1. RB Robert Henry Jr.

Senior Robert Henry Jr. played in all 13 games for the Roadrunners in 2023 rushing for 588 yards and a team-high 11 touchdowns on 127 attempts. His 11 rushing touchdowns are tied for second-most in a season in school history.

At the start of his fourth collegiate season and second, with UTSA, having previously played for Jones College in Mississippi, Henry leads the Roadrunners in rushing yards with 5 attempts for 56 rushing yards, though no touchdowns yet.

Henry wasn't a member of the UTSA team that fell to the Longhorns in 2022, and even the players who traveled north to Austin then are unfamiliar with this new force the Texas team has become. Coming out of a loss against Texas State, Henry will look to be in the best of his game to avoid another blowout.

2. WR Willie McCoy

McCoy made a big move in 2023 leaving Kilgore College in the NJCAA to UTSA in the NCAA. In his maiden season with the Roadrunners, McCoy played in ten games with three starts and earned himself a spot in UTSA's deep wide receiver rotation.

As a junior, he caught 18 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns and returned seven kickoffs for 172 yards. In his last year of collegiate football, McCoy kicked off with seven receptions for 118 yards and one touchdown and will try to increase these numbers in game three against No. 2 Texas.

Dec 19, 2023; Frisco, TX, USA; UTSA Roadrunners quarterback Owen McCown (13) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Marshall Thundering Herd at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports / Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports

3. QB Owen McCown

With the departure of record-holder quarterback Frank Harris, all eyes will be on redshirt sophomore Owen McCown.

As Harris was out for part of the 2023 season, McCown got some valuable playing time, and led the Roadrunners to the program's first bowl win against Marshall in his first start for the team.

McCown completed 43 of 58 passes for 442 yards and four touchdowns, boasted a .741 completion percentage and rushed for 51 yards in his first season in San Antonio.

The transfer from Colorado set the program’s single-game completion percentage record against No. 20 Tennessee in September, connecting on 18 of 20 passes for 170 yards and scoring the only two touchdowns for the Roadrunners in the game.

As the new starter for the Roadrunners, McCown has completed 38 of 61 passes for 445 yards and three passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown in two games.