UTSA Football Media Roundtable 2026

After a four year break, we thought this season was a good time for us to bring back our media roundtable. With the Roadrunners entering game week against UTRGV, we reached out to several members of the media to get their takes on a few key questions we’ve had top of mind. Thanks to everyone who participated in the round table this year, we appreciate you and your coverage! Note that not all responses were included due to length constraints.

Previous roundtables: 2021 | 2022

2026 Participants

JJ Perez – Inside Runner Sports

Darrien Starling – Before Saturday

Mike Craven – Dave Campbell’s Texas Football

Brad Millwater – The Paisano

Javi Cardenas – Alamo Audible

Rylan Renteria – Alamo Audible

What does a successful season look like for UTSA in 2026?

Editor’s note: The round table was unanimous in success representing conference championship contention (8-9 wins). Leaving Mike’s answer here for brevity as he hit the main points expressed across the panel.

Mike: Success for UTSA in 2026 is conference contention late into the season. The Roadrunners need to be in the conference championship mix and playing meaningful games in November. Something like eight or nine wins. That will require winning on the road, especially in conference play against teams such as Rice, FAU, and UAB. Beating Texas State in Week 2 would build some necessary momentum and ease concerns about the road woes.

Name your breakout player for UTSA this season

Darrien: Asaad Chapman

Javi: I’ll go with Jeremiah Bailey. For a revamped defense searching for production and, more importantly, leadership, Bailey appears to be the ideal choice. He brings the experience, playmaking ability, and presence this unit needs as it looks to establish a new identity. If he can replicate the level of production he displayed at his previous stops, he has the potential to elevate the entire defense and significantly raise its ceiling in 2026.

Mike: Give me James Madison II, the wide receiver transfer from Missouri. He’s got great size and the Rick Bowie offense should give him, and the rest of the wide receivers, plenty of opportunities to compile stats and make game-changing plays. The UTSA run game should give the wide receivers plenty of 1-on-1 opportunities and Madison could become a safety blanket of sorts on third down and in the red zone. He was a four-star out of high school so the ceiling is there.

JJ: I’ll give you two. Offensive Lineman A’marion Breland has had a great offseason. Just a redshirt freshman, Breland looks the part as he is listed at 6-9/320lbs. He’s improved so much since arriving at UTSA last year that he figures to be a key contributor, if not a starter, in 2026. On defense it seems like Safety Nate Robinson will eventually blossom into a star for the Roadrunners. A native of San Antonio, Robinson will be a strong force in the defensive backfield and could grow into a Rashad Wisdom-like presence for the defense.

What concern for the Roadrunners is flying under the radar heading into the season?

Javi: The obvious concern is at safety for reasons that have been discussed all offseason, but the under-the-radar position for me is inside linebacker. It is easy to assume Brandon Tucker and Owen Pewee will step in and not miss a beat, but that is a bold assumption to make. Replacing proven production is never as simple as plugging in new names, no matter how talented they may be. Beyond the projected starters, the depth behind them remains largely unproven. There is talent in the room, but also plenty of question marks. Until those questions are answered on the field, inside linebacker remains one of the biggest wild cards on the defense.

Darrien: Jeff Traylor’s mediocrity in the American Conference and what that means if the Runners fail to contend in 2026.

Mike: Pass rush. The Roadrunners have quietly built an impressive list of edge rushers over the short course of the program’s history, including Marcus Davenport, Trey Moore, Jimmori Robinson, and Clarence Hicks. That pass rush was nonexistent last year with only one player recording over three sacks. A quality pass rush makes everyone on the defense better and it will help cover up any deficiencies in the safety room if the opposing quarterback doesn’t have all day to find a target downfield.

JJ: Receiving depth is unproven. David Amador and AJ Wilson figure to be two of the top targets. But after them, it’s hard to say who will step up. The Roadrunners lost a ton of the pass catching production in the offseason. And while there is some talent in both the wide receiver and tight ends rooms, it remains to be seen who emerges as offensive threats there.

Rylan: Secondary cohesion. We know they have the individual pieces to be successful – the Chapman twins, Nate Robinson Jr., Xavier Walton, etc. – but how will they operate as a unit?

Brad: The non-conference schedule. It’s very feasible that the ‘Runners begin conference play at 1-3 with losses to two top G6 programs in Texas State and Colorado State. A sluggish start like that can deflate a team that was stitched together this spring and cause UTSA to perform far below its potential in conference season.

Who finishes the season as Defensive MVP?

Javi: This might be wishful thinking, but I’ll go with Elijah Baldwin. He has all the physical tools to make an immediate impact at outside linebacker and could become a major factor sooner rather than later. On a defense desperately searching for an elite pass rusher, Baldwin has the talent and upside to fill that role. It is never easy for a young player to step in and dominate right away, but the potential is clearly there. If he develops as expected, Baldwin could become the next great local pass-rushing star and give this defense the game-changing edge it has been missing.

Mike: I’ll take Brandon Tucker. The UTSA defense funnels production to the linebacker room and Tucker should be the team’s leading tackler by the end of the season. He was solid last year as a primary backup and was excellent at East Texas A&M, earning All-American honors in 2024. He’s not as athletically gifted as Shad Banks, but he can patrol the middle of the defense, has proven production in college, and plays a position of real importance in Loepp’s system.

JJ: Newcomer Money Backer Archie Chambers is probably in the best position to have the biggest immediate on defense. One of the top-rated recruits in the most recent signing class, Chambers has all the tools become a star. He’s looked strong in the offseason and will be a key component of the 2026 defensive unit.

Rylan: Jeremiah Bailey

Brad: Asaad Chapman, CB. UTSA won out over the likes of Oregon, Florida State, Miami and Nebraska for Chapman’s services. The #3 JUCO product in the nation according to 247Sports reunites with his twin brother Ahamad in San Antonio, and projects to lock down the secondary. Chapman shows every sign of being UTSA’s next defensive player to be selected in the NFL draft.

Editor’s note: Darrien also picked Asaad Chapman as his Defensive MVP

What is the deepest position and thinnest position for the Roadrunners heading into the season?

Darrien: RB is the deepest position. Safety is thinnest or has the most question marks.

JJ: It seems like this offensive line unit is one of the deepest UTSA has had under Jeff Traylor. There may be 6-8 legit starters in the group. And most of them are versatile in that they can play multiple positions along the line. It’s a really solid group. The only caveat to this is if/when injuries impact them. The Will Outside Linebacker group remains unproven. It appears UTSA has some depth but we don’t know. Cam Cooper is coming back from injury while Elijah Baldwin and Dylan Spencer have looked good throughout the offseason. One of the biggest questions headed into 2026 is where does the pass rush come from this season? That answer will be tied largely to the production of this position group.

Brad: Deepest: Wide receiver. Proven players like David Amador II and AJ Wilson return, while transfers TJ West and James Madison II look to be just as good in practice and will compete heavily for field time. Jamel Hardy Jr. and DJ Allen Jr. round out the elite crew that Owen McCown will target in his senior year.
Thinnest: Tight end. Houston Thomas and Patrick Overmyer departed for Power 4 programs, and the ‘Runners are searching for assistance in the tight end room. Brandon Young Jr. has stood out so far but unless something dramatic occurs, there will be much less emphasis on the tight end position in the ‘Runners offense.

Who wins the American Conference championship?

Javi: Give me Navy over ECU. The Midshipmen have a clear identity on offense and execute it as well as anyone in the conference. ECU has enough talent to make this a competitive matchup, but Navy’s continuity, experience, and ability to dictate the pace give them the edge. I trust Navy to do what it does best and grind out a win.

Darrien: Navy

Mike: I’m taking Memphis. Navy is another team I’m high on. But the Tigers have consistently done less with more and I think those days are over since they upgraded at head coach by hiring Charles Huff. The continuity at Navy is hard to ignore in a conference that had so much turnover on rosters and in the coaching staff, but the Midshipmen’s ceiling isn’t as high as Memphis or South Florida. I’m taking Memphis because of Huff and the roster budget.

JJ: The 2026 version of the American feels as wide open as it’s ever been in the previous three years UTSA has been a part of the conference. Navy is odds on favorite. But not by much. Experts think UTSA, Memphis, and South Florida are in the mix as well. I’d throw East Carolina and Tulane is as dark horses to make it an even six teams that could win this thing. In the end, I think it’ll UTSA and Navy in the title game with the Roadrunners hoisting their first American Football Championship in 2026.

Rylan: It’s a two-horse race between Navy and UTSA, but I’ll lean Navy.

Brad: UTSA of course. 34-27 over Tulane.

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