SAN MARCOS, Texas – Five Texas State football players were selected to the Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine's 2024 Preseason All-Texas College Teams, the publication announced on Monday.
 
First team selections were Kaleb "Kuga" Culp, Joey Hobert, Ismail Mahdi and Mason Shipley while Ben Bell was chosen to the second team. Named the top wide receiver by the magazine was Hobert and Shipley was picked as the best special teams player.
 
The five selections are tied for the third most with TCU, Texas Tech and UTSA. Leading the way with 10 picks apiece was SMU and Texas.
 
Hobert is coming off a 2023 season in which he led the Bobcats with 76 receptions and 895 receiving yards while his nine touchdown catches were tied for the most on the squad. His performance earned him second team honors by the Sun Belt Conference and Dave Campbell's Texas Football. Five times he recorded 100 or more receiving yards and caught a touchdown in seven of the 11 games he played.
 
An All-Sun Belt First Team honoree, Shipley was a Lou Groza Award semifinalist last year. The Liberty Hill, Texas native set the school record for field goals in a season with 15 and was one of two kickers in the nation to convert all of their field goal attempts. His 103 points scored in 2023 rank second in team history behind David Morrison's 114 that he totaled in 1967.
 
Earning six All-American honors last season was Mahdi, who also led the nation with 2,169 all-purpose yards. He totaled 1,331 rushing yards, caught 20 passes for 275 yards and returned 22 kickoffs for a total of 563 yards. The Murphy, Texas native also recorded 12 touchdowns with 10 coming on the ground, one through the air and one being a kickoff return. Mahdi finished 12th in the country in rushing yards, 13th in rushing yards per game (102.4) and 14th in kick returns (25.6 yards/return).
 
Culp finished his first season in San Marcos with 81 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and five pass break ups. He recovered four fumbles, which tied for the most in the nation, and returned one for a touchdown that came in the season finale against South Alabama.
 
Bell earned All-Sun Belt Second Team honors last season after recording 10 sacks, two of which came in the SERVPRO First Responders Bowl victory over Rice, along with six quarterback hurries and forcing a fumble. The defensive end also recorded 57 tackles, 32 of them solo, and had 16 tackles for loss. His sack total tied for the ninth highest in the country and was tied for the fourth most in the Sun Belt.
 
The Bobcats, under second-year head coach GJ Kinne, return 17 starters from last year's SERVPRO First Responder Bowl championship-winning team. They also feature the Sun Belt's highest-rated newcomer class, according to 247Sports.
 
Season tickets and mini plans are on sale now for the Bobcats' seven-game home schedule and can be purchased at TXST.com/tickets or by calling the Texas State Athletics Ticket Office at 512-245-2272.