Texas State returns its top two rushers from a year ago while adding experienced backs to create plenty of options out of the running back room. Check out below for a preview of the Bobcat running backs for the 2022 season.
Who's Returning
Hill and Jeter combined to rush for more than 1,000 yards last season and nearly 2,000 yards over the last two years. The team's leading rushers return to power an experienced group thanks to two FBS transfers and a junior college transfer being added to the fold.
Hill ran for a career-high 714 yards on 128 carries in 2021, which placed him in the Sun Belt's top-10. He also averaged 5.6 yards per carry and 59.5 rushing yards per game. The Baytown, Texas native ended the year strong, running for a career-high 123 yards on 12 carries against Arkansas State in the victorious season finale.
Although he is 5-7 and 185 pounds, Hill finished eighth in the Sun Belt in yards after contact (451) last season. He showed the ability for explosive plays with his 78-yard run against Arkansas State and 54-yard rushing touchdown at Coastal Carolina. He also had 22 rushes of 10 or more yards, which was seventh-best in the Sun Belt.
Jeter led the team in rushing touchdowns with eight last year, and he finished the campaign with 384 yards on 91 carries. He began to see more touches out of the backfield to close out the season, registering 10+ carries in each of the last four games, averaging 52.8 rushing yards per game, and scoring a touchdown in each of the contests. His best performance came in a win against ULM when he ran for 92 yards and scored a touchdown.
Jeter, the bigger of the two between him and Hill, registered 71 percent of his rushing yards after contact (273 yards after contact). Of the top-20 rushers in the Sun Belt last year, that was the third-highest percentage.
Gallery: (8-6-2022) 2022 FB Position Preview: Running Backs
Who's Departed
Sturges had 10 or more carries in five of the first six games last year before he joined Twyford as a situational back. Brown and Lane did not play in any offensive snaps.
Who's New
The two FBS running back transfers – Good and Pare – each bring more than 20 career games of experience to the Bobcat backfield. Good saw spot time in the backfield at UCF while logging significant time on special teams. Pare, meanwhile, was Arkansas State's leading rusher a year ago and ran for more than 900 yards in two seasons with the Red Wolves.
Berry, who unlike Good and Pare was with the team during spring practice, arrives in San Marcos after playing the last two seasons at Blinn College. He was named an NJCAA All-America Honorable Mention when he rushed for 732 yards and six touchdowns while averaging more than 100 rushing yards per game. He originally signed with USF out of high school before playing the last two years at the junior college level.
What to Watch For
Although half of the running back room is "new" to Texas State in 2022, the group has combined to play in 93 career games and 2,176 career snaps at the FBS level. It is a mix of talent and experience at the running back position for the Bobcats.
Last year alone, the trio of Hill, Jeter and Pare (with Arkansas State) each played in more than 116 offensive snaps and had more than 100 touches (rushes and receptions combined).
Preseason Camp Information
Texas State started official fall camp practices on August 3 and will participate in 20 days of practices before the first game week in late August. Videos of the weekly press conferences can be found
here.
Ticket Information
Season tickets and single-game tickets are on sale now for the 2022 Texas State football season. Season tickets for all six home games start as low as $80 while single-game tickets start at $20. Fans can purchase their tickets today at
TXST.com/tickets.
