TCU’s victory over Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl was a win for the Texas High School Coaches Association and the players that the Lone Star State produces. Over 60 percent of the Horned Frogs’ roster are native Texans, but it is the coaching staff that truly illustrates the growing power of the THSCA at the college level. Six of the 11 on-field coaches, including the head coach and both coordinators, are native Texans. 

Sonny Dykes, the national coach of the year for nearly every publication, was born in Big Spring and spent his first year of coaching at Pearce High School in Richardson. His dad, Spike, was a high school coaching legend before making the move to the college ranks, eventually becoming the long-time head coach at Texas Tech. The younger Dykes cut his coaching teeth at the high school ranks before moving up to Navarro Junior College and then to Texas Tech. 

Garrett Riley, the offensive coordinator who was a star quarterback at Muleshoe, spent a year coaching quarterbacks at Lubbock Roosevelt. Defensive coordinator Joe Gillespie was a state champion head coach at Stephenville before moving up to the college ranks. 

It doesn’t stop there. Outside wide receiver coach Malcolm Kelly grew up in Longview. Inside wide receiver coach Doug Meacham went to Sam Houston in Arlington. Defensive line coach JaMarkus McFarland is a native of Lufkin. 

“Obviously, us being the first College Football Playoff team from Texas brings about a lot of pride,” Gillespie, who spent the first 21 years of his coaching life at the Texas high school level, said. “That definitely puts our chest up and chin out, but more importantly, we’re proud of these young men for banding together under a new staff and jumping into the deep end.” 

The state of Texas has only produced one FBS national champion in college football since the start of the 1971 season, and that was Texas with Vince Young in 2005. The Longhorns reached the title game in 2009 before falling to Alabama in the Rose Bowl after Colt McCoy was injured. Take away the team in Austin and the state hasn’t claimed a national title since Texas A&M back in 1939. TCU won it the year before in 1938. 

That’s it. That’s the entire list of national champions from the state of Texas in college football history. One title each from Texas A&M and TCU, and then four for the Longhorns, but only one since 1971. How is that possible in a state filled with prep talent? We do high school football better than anyone in the nation, so why doesn’t that carry over to the college ranks? 

One explanation is that Texas is home to 12 FBS programs, and that number grows to 13 in 2023 when Sam Houston joins Conference USA. The state of Ohio is second with eight FBS programs, while Florida, California, and North Carolina sit at seven FBS programs each. Five of the 12 FBS programs in Texas play at the Power Five level, and that number is growing to six when Houston joins the Big 12 this summer.

Another explanation is a function of sheer size. Kids growing up in Ohio are relatively close to Ohio State no matter what corner of the state they occupy. Same for Louisiana kids and Louisiana State, or a prospect in Alabama to Tuscaloosa. Texas is huge. A kid in Dallas is as close to Norman as he is to Austin. A five-star in Houston is closer to LSU than TCU. Drivers pass an infamous road sign when entering Texas from Louisiana on I-10 that reads “El Paso 857 miles”. That same sign in reverse can be found when entering El Paso on I-10 from New Mexico. 

Another explanation is that the players leave. Texas high school football is always represented in the nation title game, even if the college program playing the prize doesn’t call Texas home. 

“I remember a few years ago, I counted 55 former Texas high school players in the College Football Playoff, even though none of the teams were from Texas,” THSCA Assistant Executive Director Glen West said. “

Let’s examine the four recruiting cycles prior to 2023. The top-ranked player in Texas signed with an out-of-state school in 2019 when Garrett Wilson went to Ohio State. The top two players in the 2020 cycle – Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Drew Sanders – left the state for Ohio State and Alabama, respectively. Things were even worse in 2021 when the best three players in that class left for an out of state school. A look at the last five recruiting cycles shows that roughly half of the top 20 in Texas leave the state with 30 of the 60 prospects ranked in the top 20 in the classes from 2019 through 2021 exported themselves out of the Lone Star State. 

Dykes inherited a roster mixed with in-state and out-of-state talent. The era of the transfer portal also changes roster dynamics. Finding dozens of out-of-state players on any roster across the country reveals that athletes are more likely than ever to play far from home. Smart phones offer FaceTime with family and friends. Travel is easier and more affordable. Social media keeps us all connected. 

But pride in your home state remains a thing, at least down here. We back H-E-B and Whataburger and Blue Bell Ice Cream. We love to pick our own horse, and that’s exactly what the Horned Frogs represent. The star wide receiver is from Temple. The star linebacker from Burton, a former wide receiver, no less. The star running back from Mount Enterprise. The Thorpe Award winning corner grew up in Waco. 

“It means a lot for the state of Texas,” Dee Winters, who returned an interception for a touchdown in the win over Michigan, said. We produce great athletes in Texas, and I think we are capable of performing at this type of level.”