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. 5: TEXAS STATE RB Ismail Mahdi

The History: Ismail Mahdi plays with shades of former Notre Dame star Rocket Ismail. He rushed for over 1,300 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior at Plano East in 2021 and was a Jerry Rice Award finalist, given to the top FCS freshman, at Houston Christian. GJ Kinne saw his potential when he coached against him at UIW in 2022, and he brought Mahdi to San Marcos in 2023. Mahdi blossomed into an All-American in his first season at Texas State, leading the nation with 2,169 all-purpose yards. 

The Skillset: Mahdi landed on the Paul Hornung Award watchlist because he's one of the nation's most versatile players. He rushed for over 1,300 yards, caught 20 passes out of the backfield and added 563 kick return yards with a touchdown. At 5-foot-9, 185 pounds, Mahdi wins with track star speed. He ran a 10.6 100m dash in high school and has only gotten faster in college.

The Impact: For Group of Five schools, the biggest offseason win can be keeping signature players. Kinne said at THSCA Coaching School that retaining Mahdi and defensive end Ben Bell were bigger wins that anyone the Bobcats could've got in the Transfer Portal. Mahdi is the best running back in the Sun Belt Conference, and his pairing with quarterback Jordan McCloud and wide receiver Joey Hobert gives Texas State one of the best triple threats in the G5.