The 2024 college football season presents an entirely new landscape. Texas is in the SEC. SMU is back in a power conference as ACC members. The College Football Playoff now includes 12 teams and an automatic bid for the best G5 team in the land. For most, the start of the season is in Week 1 on August 30, though SMU starts in Week 0 and TCU plays its first game on Aug. 29. 

To celebrate us making it through another off-season, we’re counting down the 50 most important players in Texas as we inch closer to kickoffs. This list isn’t necessarily about which players are the best in terms of NFL draft stock. It ranks players in order of importance to their team's success. 

No. 10: HOUSTON RB PARKER JENKINS

The history: The Klein Forest product was a three-star prospect and a Top 100 player in the 2023 class after rushing for 820 yards in 19 career games. He immediately became an impact player for the Coogs in 2023, leading the squad with 464 rushing yards. He averaged 4.7 yards per touch on 99 carries. Jenkins started eight times as a true freshman and scored all three of his rushing touchdowns in a win over Sam Houston. He was second on the team in total offense with 456 yards. 

The skillset: The 5-11, 200-pound Jenkins proved tough to tackle in his first season as a collegiate. Over 66 percent of his rushing yards came after contact and he was fourth among true Big 12 true freshmen with 27 forced missed tackles.  And he wasn’t just a runner. Jenkins also caught 15 passes without a single drop and returned eight kickoffs for a total of 140 yards. He should only improve with seasoning and more time in the weight room. Jenkins was second amongst Big 12 true freshmen running backs with 20 10-plus yard runs and his 88.3 fumble grade was best in the conference 

The impact: Willie Fritz took over as head coach of the Cougars following a disappointing entrance into life as a Big 12 program in 2023. Fritz enjoys a physical football team that relies on the run game. Jenkins should waltz into Week 1 as RB1 in an offense that wants to pound the rock. He’ll benefit from an RPO game next to dual-threat quarterback Donovan Smith. He’s sure to receive more than 99 carries as a sophomore. If the Cougars do overachieve in 2024, it’ll be because Jenkins led a powerful rushing attack that kept Houston in games.