When Jeff Traylor took the reins at UTSA, there was no telling how it would go. The school put together two of the worst offensive performances in America over the past two seasons.

Little did they know, there was an ace in the hole sitting right on the roster. 

Traylor and his staff didn’t even get real evaluation time due to COVID-19 to figure out what they had at running back. But after sophomore Sincere McCormick rushed for a program record 197 yards in a 51-48 double-overtime victory over rival Texas State, it was obvious something special was about to happen. 

The San Antonio native helped resurrect a dormant offense at UTSA in his second season and make the Roadrunners the breakout team of the 2020 season. For that, Dave Campbell's Texas Football has named UTSA running back Sincere McCormick the 2020 Texas College Player of the Year. 

“This is a tremendous honor for Sincere, but the first thing he will tell you is that this is a credit to our entire offensive unit and coaching staff,” Traylor told Texas Football. “He is just a humble young man from right here in the San Antonio area who works hard every day to get better, and that shows in all that he has been able to accomplish this season. He is a great example of what our 210 Triangle of Toughness brand is all about.”

McCormick rushed for 1,345 yards and 11 touchdowns in just 10 games, finishing as the second-leading rusher in America. If McCormick had not missed the Roadrunners’ win over UTEP due to the birth of his first child, the San Antonio product might have led the entire nation in rushing yards. 

After rushing for 82 yards and two touchdowns in the Conference USA opener against Middle Tennessee, McCormick cleared 150 yards and a touchdown in four of the last five conference games. The cherry on top was a 251-yard, two-TD performance against North Texas, the first 200-yard game in UTSA history. UTSA finished 7-4 and was a tiebreaker away from going to the Conference USA championship game. 

“It gives you something to build around,” UTSA offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. told Texas Football in October. “We definitely build our plans around the running game and to complement it, not the other way around.”

Just two years into his career, McCormick is just one touchdown and 65 yards short of the program records set by David Glasco and Jarveon Williams, respectively. He will have a shot to break both marks against No. 19 Louisiana in the First Responders Bowl on Dec. 26. 

On Tuesday, Texas Football named McCormick to its All-Texas College First Team. McCormick was also picked as the state’s best running back in the 2020 Texas Football preview magazine. 

Before UTSA, McCormick rushed for 3,407 yards and 43 touchdowns during a standout career for Sean McAuliffe at Converse Judson. He earned first-team All-District 26-6A honors as a senior after rushing for 1,489 yards and 22 touchdowns and leading the Rockets to the state quarterfinals.