RIO GRANDE VALLEY – What is the best we can be?
 
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) head coach Travis Bush was asking himself a similar question one year ago ahead of the first season of Vaqueros football. 
 
In 2025, everything was unknown, and therefore there weren't any real expectations for how good the Vaqueros could be. After putting together one of the best inaugural seasons in FCS history – setting records for programs started since 1978 with nine wins and six FCS wins – the expectations from the outside world are high heading into the 2026 season. 
 
The Vaqueros are receiving votes in two national polls: the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll and the Preseason Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll. They were picked to finish fourth in the Southland Conference (SLC) Preseason Poll, coming in right behind a trio of 2025 playoff teams. UTRGV has two student-athletes on national preseason watch lists in fifth-year punter Nathaniel Wallace-Dilling, one of 14 punters on the 2026 FCS Punter of the Year award watch list, and senior kicker Brysen Gardner, one of 39 kickers on the 2026 Fred Mitchell Award watch list. 
 
Inside the locker room, though, UTRGV coaches and players aren't entertaining the what ifs or win-loss record debates or hot takes flying around from fans and pundits. The Vaqueros are following the same motto they've had since Day 1: Win Today. Go 1-0 every day. 
 
The Vaqueros have more confidence with their sophomore season looming. They had a good fall camp and have a lot more excitement than question marks when it comes to personnel compared to this same time last year. 
 
But one question remains: What is the best we can be? 
 
The answer won't reveal itself after one drive or even one game. The 2026 schedule is tough. Four of UTRGV's five home games will be against 2025 playoff teams, starting with the 18^th-ranked Div. II UT Permian Basin Falcons. Then the Vaqueros will have a tough two-game road swing, facing their first FBS opponent in UTSA before heading to Nicholls, a notoriously difficult SLC road stop. No. 19 Southeastern, No. 20 Lamar and No. 13 Stephen F. Austin – three conference foes that repped the SLC in the FCS Playoffs last year and open 2026 ranked in several preseason polls – will make the trip to Robert & Janet Vackar Stadium trying to hand UTRGV its first home loss. 
 
Bush expects there to be highs and lows. Adversity will strike and roles will change and goals will evolve. Through it all, the Vaqueros will be reminded to control what they can control, give their 1/11^th every rep in practice and in games, and keep their mindset on getting a little bit better every day. 
 
"Everyone in the outside world is going to judge us by wins and losses. That's fine. We chose this. But for us, we'll take it one game at a time," Bush said. "It's a long season. So much can and will happen. What is that mark of success? What is the best we can be? We don't know yet. Six wins may be a successful season depending on how we stack up. We got to see who we are." 
 
UTRGV will lean on its experienced defense early. Nearly the entire unit which was a top 15 defense in all of FCS last season returns, headlined by a stellar linebacker duo of junior Jaiden Haygood and sixth year Spencer Rich and a lock-down 1-2 punch of junior Alijah Prosser and fifth year TJ Neal at defensive back. But the true strength of the defense, and a group Bush called the most impressive after fall camp, is the defensive line. Ja'Marcus Anderson, Connor Carrigan, Jayden House and Harlingen High alum Nathan Huerta do the dirty work so the guys behind them have free rein. 
 
"[Jaiden and Spencer,] their leadership, their football savvy, their instincts… they're just football players. Those dudes love the game, love to practice, and they get that defense going. TJ Neal is a returning captain with great leadership and toughness. Alijah is a competitor, a Day 1 walk-on who earned a spot and started for us," Bush said. 
 
"But credit goes back up front. With the guys up front and the way they're formatted, they keep the linebackers free and allow those guys to make a play," he continued. "The best teams in our conference have great defenses and great d-lines. Our line, all returners, all back a year older, more mature, through another offseason, and with coach Brian Gamble tailor-fitting some things now, schematically, to fit their strengths, they've been a headache to go against day in and day out." 
 
After the top producers from 2025 graduated or joined FBS rosters, the Vaqueros have some building to do offensively, but Bush does feel good about the group after a solid offseason. Because there was no spring transfer portal window, there wasn't as much turnover on the roster between spring ball and summer workouts compared to last year. So, the Vaqueros were able to do installations at a faster pace and were a lot more physical early in training camp. 
 
Much of the outside talk regarding the offense is focused on the quarterback battle. Junior Aidan Jakobsohn and fifth year transfer Garret Rangel have risen to the top of a talented quarterback room, but Bush is keeping his cards close to his chest in terms of the season-opening starter. He has said fans will get a look at both early on. 
 
It's hard to really judge how good UTRGV's offense can be when the group has to battle the Vaqueros defense every day. One youngster who garnered significant attention and praise during camp is sophomore Corey Holmes. The 6-2 receiver is a big, strong target and showed tremendous growth through spring and fall camp. Junior Jaydon Smith, a North Texas transfer and former high school teammate of Jakobsohn, looks poised to be a reliable target, too. 
 
UTRGV's running back room has started to take shape with a good trio splitting carries. Two returners in San Benito alum Fabian Garcia and junior TJ Dement have set the tone in the room while fifth year LSU transfer Malachi Lane brings great size and special teams experience to the group. 
 
Bringing stability to an offense which is developing every day is the offensive line. Nick Hughes, Wes Thompson and Abram Nicklas were all recognized on the Phil Steele Preseason All-Conference Teams. Gannon Lauer also returns to the trenches and James Bailey has been a solid addition up front after transferring from New Mexico. 
 
"Great leadership up front from the starting four. They're going against a tough d-line day in and day out, some grueling battles up front every day, so it's really making them better. They're already better than they were at this time last year. Really excited about that group," Bush said. 
 
Speaking on putting the other pieces of the offensive puzzle together, Bush said: "We built the offense to tailor-fit our personnel, so schematically, it'll be similar. Who are we going to give the ball to, a lot of that stuff is being figured out. But I really like our running back group, they're really solid behind that line." 
 
As expectations grow and the number of eyes on UTRGV Football continues to increase, it's important to remember that 2026 is just Year 2. At this time last year, few probably expected to even be asking if the Vaqueros could be a playoff team by 2026. But many are asking that question now. 
 
The Vaqueros aren't looking that far ahead or worrying about what the record will be when the final whistle blows on Nov. 21. They'll make the most of the 12 opportunities ahead and chase their own mark of success. 
 
"We're only guaranteed 13 more weeks in that room together. We feel like there's a lot of potential. Success for us, really, is maximizing that potential," Bush said. "We need to get in games, see what this team looks like and how we stack up compared to our competition week in and week out. We'll look up and gauge where we're at and recalculate our goals and focus on what we need to do to be successful." 
 
"Every year is different. We could have a way better team than last year and not even win half the games because that's football and that's our tough our schedule is," he added. "Our goal is just to be as good as we can get. Compete our tails off and try to find a way to be 1-0 at the end of each week and see where we go from there." 

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