The college football season begins on Sept. 2 for 12 of the 13 FBS teams in the state of Texas. The lone exception in the Lone Star State is UTEP, which face Jacksonville State in Week 0 to begin Conference USA play. 

As we approach the start of another season, we’ll countdown the 50-most important players in college football. We’ll go one-by-one until Sept. 1 as we enter the top 20. 

Previous rankings: 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21

NO. 9: TEXAS STATE WR ASHTYN HAWKINS  

The History 

A former All-District selection at DFW powerhouse DeSoto, Hawkins began his collegiate career at Cisco College in 2020. He caught 25 passes for 487 yards and seven touchdowns in the spring of 2021 (no fall 2020 season due to Covid). He arrived in San Marcos in 2021 and worked his way into rotation immediately. He played in 11 games and started the final two, finishing the year with 30 catches for 284 yards and a score. Hawkins was the team’s leading receiver in 2022 despite only playing in nine games due to a season-ending injury on a punt return against ULM in November. Hawkins caught 56 passes for 587 yards and seven scores from his slot position. 

The Importance 

New head coach G.J. Kinne and hotshot offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich bring a high-flying offense to San Marcos and an explosive slot receiver like Hawkins can thrive in that system. Hawkins is a weapon at all three levels of wide receiver production. He can take short routes and turn them into big plays after the catch things to his quickness. He can dominant defenders with his route-running ability on the intermediate level, and his speed is good enough to get over the top of defenses vertically. He’s also excellent as a returner on special teams. Hawkins provides the Bobcats with a big-play weapon and a proven commodity in the passing game. 

The Outlook 

The season record of Texas State is hard to gauge because of a new staff and nearly 50 new players on the roster. But one thing is probable – the offense should be fun to watch. And Hawkins should be a big part of that success. The up-tempo, quick-strike offense should fit Hawkins’ skill set perfectly. A 1,000-yard season isn’t out of the question if the DeSoto product can stay healthy. 

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