There's no doubt about it: football is king in Texas, and this week college football gets ready to kick off another season.
North Texas is home to several college football programs, as well as perennial high school powerhouses – some of them nationally ranked.
For more on what to expect this year from area college and high school teams, the Denton Record Chronicle's sports reporters break down all you need to know about the upcoming seasons.
SMU moves to the ACC
SMU kicks off its season Saturday against Nevada in a new conference, with the school’s long-term goal to play among the power conferences in college football achieved as they move to the Atlantic Coast Conference.
SMU had an exciting season last year, undefeated in conference play before losing in the Fenway Bowl to Boston College. And it should be another exciting year for the Mustangs, largely because of who they’ll be playing: games against Florida State, Boston College and the University of California-Berkeley at Ford Stadium in Dallas will make for some intriguing matchups this year.
The program also raised a significant amount of money heading into the first year to facilitate their transition to the ACC, including $100 million in seven days shortly after they announced their jump from the American Athletic Conference.
Can TCU return to the postseason?
The Big 12 is a challenging conference, but Texas Christian university is a very solid program with a team that made it to the national title game just two years ago before falling to Georgia. They’ve struggled to recreate some of the chemistry of that special season and lost many of the key players who led them to their national championship game appearance, but head coach Sonny Dykes seems confident they can recreate the magic.
The Horned Frogs may not be the team everyone’s banking on making the national championship game again this year, but flying a little bit more under the radar may benefit them. They'll open the season Aug. 30 at Stanford.
A second-year coach looks to rebound
The big challenge for the University of North Texas this year? Rebounding from a disappointing season and getting back to the postseason. UNT went to a bowl game six of the previous seven years before falling short in the 2023 season. It was their first under new head coach Eric Morris, and the team finished 5-7 -- barely missing out on a bowl game.
The Mean Green feel good about their chances this year, largely because of some solid additions. They brought in TCU transfer quarterback Chandler Morris, a former Highland Park standout who excelled at TCU but dealt with some injury issues that contributed to him departing the program. He's looked good in practice and has emerged as one of the team's true leaders to help guide the way for this program.
UNT’s also brought in a series of defensive transfers who are expected to help significantly on that side of the ball. It will be interesting to see how UNT comes together over the course of the season as the Mean Green look to return to the postseason and play in a bowl game for the first time under Eric Morris.
3 high school teams going for 3 straight titles
There's so much talent around the North Texas high school scene, but Duncanville, DeSoto and Aledo have stood out above the rest over the last few years. In fact, all three North Texas teams are looking for their third state championship in a row.
DeSoto was the undisputed best team in the state last year after beating Duncanville head-to-head during regular season play on the way to winning its title. The Eagles go into this year ranked No. 1 in Dave Campbell's Texas Football rankings, and they're ranked No. 5 in the nation among all high school teams by MaxPreps. They also chose to remain in Class 6A rather than leverage its dropping enrollment numbers to move down a class.
Duncanville is right there with them, and in the same district. They’re right behind DeSoto in the Dave Campbell rankings and won the Division I state championship for the second year in a row last year. They're also ranked No. 7 in the nation by MaxPreps, just two slots below DeSoto – the only team to beat them last year. Duncanville does have to reload a bit defensively, with only four starters back on that side of the ball. But it’s another team with a loaded core of players, including seven seniors committed to play in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Aledo, meanwhile, has won back-to-back state championships at the 5A Division I level, and head into the year ranked No. 1 in that division. The Bearcats are among the premier high school football programs in Texas, with a record 12 championships to their name, 11 of which came in the last 15 years – dominance unheard of in Texas high school football. They’ve had some heavy losses including just over two-thirds of their starters gone – including six NCAA Division I signees – but have still got some key pieces in place to be among the top state title contenders this year.
Don’t forget Denton
Denton Record-Chronicle readers know Denton Ryan's one of the perennial local powerhouses. They've got three state championships to their name – in 2001, 2002, and most recently, 2020 – and look like a team with a real shot to do it again this year. They're ranked No. 2 in the state in 5A Division I, behind only Aledo. Both teams are in the same district and it's going to be fascinating to see them battle it out this year for the district championship and potentially meet each other again in the playoffs.
Argyle's another local powerhouse. They've got two state championships – one in 2013 and the other in 2020 – and they're ranked No. 3 in the state in Class 5A Division II behind No. 2 South Oak Cliff and No. 1 Port Neches-Groves, which won the title last year. But Argyle is in a loaded district with teams like Colleyville Heritage and Mansfield Timberview who could give them a run for their money.
South Oak Cliff goes for a third title in four years
Speaking of South Oak Cliff, they’re a team you must keep an eye on every year. They've been to three straight state title games at the 5A Division II level, winning in 2021 and 2022, and falling just short to Port Neches-Groves last year.
In 2023, South Oak Cliff became the first Dallas ISD team to win a state championship since Dallas Washington in 1958, though it comes with an asterisk: Dallas Carter won a championship back in 1988, but later had to forfeit the title due to fielding a player later deemed ineligible.
Players to watch
There are so many young players around the area who are going to move on to major college football teams, and you can see a first glimpse of them right here in North Texas.
At DeSoto, senior running back Deondrae Riden is committed to Texas A&M. He ran for over 1,000 yards and had 12 touchdowns last year despite missing some time due to injury. He looks poised for a big senior year.
Another rising star is senior wide receiver Dakorien Moore at Duncanville, who’s committed to Oregon. He's ranked the top wide receiver in the nation in his class with more than 1,300 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns last year.
In Denton County, Kevin Sperry at Denton Guyer transferred in from Carl Albert High School in Oklahoma this year and is committed to go play at the University of Oklahoma. He led Carl Albert to a state title and will try to do the same at Denton Guyer. Meanwhile, Ty Haywood and Marcus Garcia are two senior offensive linemen at Denton Ryan who both committed to SEC schools: Haywood to Alabama, and Garcia to Texas A&M.
They anchored Denton Ryan's offensive line at both the offensive tackle spots, and it's rare to have two SEC-level players on one offensive line. They'll be key to everything Denton Ryan wants to do this year.
