The College Football Hall of Fame announced candidates for its 2023 class. Two former coaches and one former player received a nomination.

Pete Cawthon Sr., former Austin College and Texas Tech coach is nominated for the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame as an FBS coach candidate. Cawthon led the ‘Roos from 1923-1927 and the Red Raiders from 1930-1940 and owned a 97-51-11 record at those schools.

Cawthon guided the Red Raiders to four Border Conference titles, including a perfect 10-0 record and the program’s first appearance in the Cotton Bowl in 1938, and still owns the highest win percentage (69.3) among Texas Tech coaches with terms of at least three years.

UT-Arlington OT Bruce Collie is nominated as a Divisional player candidate. Collie was a first-team All-American in 1984 and helped the Mavericks to the Southland Conference title in 1981. Collie proceeded to play six seasons in the NFL with San Francisco and Philadelphia.

Former Trinity head coach Steve Mohr is nominated as a Divisional coach candidate.  Mohr coached the Tigers from 1990 through 2013 and finished with a record of 186-74. He led the Tigers to 16 conference titles, 12 playoff berths, and an appearance in the 2002 Stagg Bowl. Mohr was a five-time AFCA Regional Coach of the Year and remains the program’s all-time leader in wins. 

Western Athletic Conference

• The WAC Board of Directors approved the participation of its transitioning schools, Tarleton and Utah Tech (formerly Dixie State), in all conference championships. “It was important for our Board of Directors to show Tarleton and Utah Tech that the conference is committed to their cause,” WAC Commissioner Brian Thornton said in a statement. “The inclusion of the Texans and Trailblazers in all championships not only strengthens our league as a whole but provides a large group of student-athletes with a proper end-of-season experience.” The WAC previously sent a letter to the NCAA supporting a petition to allow the Texans and Trailblazers to be eligible to receive automatic qualification for national championships.

• The Board of Directors also decided to use winning percentage to determine the WAC champion in football this year and is still working with the ASUN to determine how the automatic qualifier for the FCS playoffs will be chosen during their alliance.

• Two players from the WAC are on the Athlon Sports’ 2022 Preseason FCS All-America team released on Monday. Wide receivers Xavier Gipson of Stephen F. Austin and Taylor Grimes from UIW are the only Texas small college players on the team.

• SFA is receiving plenty of love from the national media. The ‘Jacks are very talented, and Craig Haley of TheAnalyst.com placed two SFA athletes on his list of FCS prospects to watch for the 2023 NFL Draft. WR Xavier Gipson is the active FCS career leader in receiving yards and touchdowns and projects as a slot receiver and punt returner. DE B.J. Thompson was also mentioned after recording 15.5 sacks in 22 games for the ‘Jacks. 

• Sam Herder of HERO SPORTS wrote about one game each week with the most considerable playoff implications in FCS. Among the teams mentioned are SFA and UIW, each receiving two mentions, including their game against each other in Week 6.

• SFA has scheduled a home-and-home series with Austin Peay. The ‘Jacks host the Govs on Aug. 31, 2024, and will travel to Fortera Stadium in Clarksville, Tenn., on Sept. 20, 2025. This will be the first meeting on the gridiron between the schools.

• Temple LB Audley Isaacs announced he is transferring to Tarleton. Isaacs recorded 26 tackles in 27 games for the Owls.

• Abilene Christian added a familiar name to Texas high school football fans with the transfer of Maverick McIvor from Texas Tech. The San Angelo product did not appear in a game for the Red Raiders and was a 3-star recruit in high school.

• ACU is adding UCLA DB Patrick Jolly Jr. as a transfer. Jolly appeared in 16 games for the Bruins.

Southland Conference

• Texas A&M-Commerce landed another transfer in Rice DB Prudy Calderon. The San Marcos product was a member of the 2018 CUSA all-freshman team after registering four interceptions in 13 games. However, Calderon only played in 13 games over the last two seasons and has not recorded an interception since 2018.

Southwestern Athletic Conference

• UNLV DB Jaylen Lane committed to Prairie View A&M. Lane was a 3-star recruit out of Shadow Creek High School. Lane appeared in one game for the Rebels during his freshman season.

Lone Star Conference

• Central Washington gained a commitment from SFA RB Tre’Jon Henderson. The Byron Nelson standout gained 216 yards rushing in limited playing time during his three years with the ‘Jacks.

American Southwest Conference

• Texas Lutheran is adding a stripe to its helmet for the 2022 season. This is the first time the stripe will be on the helmet since 2018. The Bulldogs are expected to announce uniform changes in the coming weeks. Click the link above to view the helmet.

• McMurry announced former Glen Rose standout QB Cameron Griffin, Wichita Falls WR Dajuan Pando, Lockhart DB Jesael Batres, Woodrow Wilson DB William Barnett, Eagle Pass OL JJ Lopez, Lubbock Coronado OLB Obie Williams, Dallas Bryan Adams WR Jordan Smith, and Del Valle QB Timothy Caldwell to the War Hawks 2022 recruiting class.

• Mary Hardin-Baylor added United South OL Daymeonn Vercher to its recruiting class.

• Southwestern announced the addition of Jersey Village ATH Isaac Podraza to the Pirates recruiting class.

Sooner Athletic Conference

• Texas Wesleyan is scheduled to open its 2022 campaign at home against Arkansas State University Campus Queretaro. The game is being billed as the “Global Clasico” and is set to kickoff at 7 p.m. on Aug. 27. ASUCQ is located in Queretaro, Mexico, and is the first university in Mexico to offer the U.S. academic model of education.

Southwestern Junior College Football Conference

• Navarro landed TCU transfer DL Jaquaze Sorrells. The Clearwater, Fla. product did not appear in a game last year after redshirting in 2020.

• Trinity Valley LB Tristian Fletcher announced he would transfer to play for the Kansas Jayhawks. Fletcher was initially committed to Sam Houston but reconsidered after receiving an offer from Kansas.

• Tyler received a commitment from DB Perry Taylor. Taylor is transferring to the Apaches from Ouachita Baptist and did not see playing time at OBU last season.