UTSA 2026 Preview
The College Football Experience (@TCEonSGPN) on the Sports Gambling Podcast Network continues its 138 college football team preview series with the UTSA Roadrunners 2026 Season Preview. Pick Dundee aka (@TheColbyD) & Ryan McIntyre (@Moneyline_Mac) break down the 2026 UTSA Roadrunners roster and what to expect in the American Athletic Conference this season. Can Jeff Traylor, now 53-26 at UTSA, turn back-to-back 7-6 seasons into a real AAC push? Is fourth-year starter Owen McCown, the Colorado transfer with 7,461 career passing yards, ready to lift an offense that ranked 124th in scoring last year? And how does a defense that finished 14th in scoring hold up after returning just 44 percent of its production?
David Amador II and AJ Wilson anchor the returning receivers, but do newcomers like Texas Tech transfer TJ West and tight end Brandon Young Jr. give McCown more to work with? On defense, can returners Tai Leonard and Owen Pewee plus the number three ranked JUCO corner Asaad Champman keep that unit elite under coordinator Jess Loepp? What kind of edge does the Roadrunners’ Alamodome gameday give them at home in San Antonio? Which games on a schedule that runs through Texas, Colorado State, Navy, Tulane and the I-35 Showdown with Texas State decide the season? And where’s the betting value on the UTSA Roadrunners win total, American Athletic Conference odds and College Football Playoff chances? We talk it all and more on this episode of The College Football Experience.
Jeff Traylor Keeps The Roadrunners Winning
Jeff Traylor has built something steady in San Antonio. He is 53-26 as UTSA’s head coach. The program has strung together six straight winning seasons since it started play back in 2011. Still, the Roadrunners only went 7-6 in 2025, their second 7-6 year in a row. The margins were thin. UTSA went just 1-3 in games decided by seven points or less. That is why the hot seat sits low, at a 1 out of 10, but the pressure to take a step forward is real.
A Season Decided By The Margins
Those close games tell the real story of 2025. UTSA lost 21-17 to Texas State. Then it needed a last gasp to beat Colorado State 17-16. After that came a 27-21 loss to Temple and a 27-24 defeat to Army. So four one-score finishes, three of them losses. Flip two of those results and the Roadrunners are talking about the American Athletic Conference title game instead of a second straight 7-6 season. Traylor has kept the winning streak alive for six years running. But 2026 is the year those close ones need to start bouncing UTSA’s way.
Owen McCown Runs The Show
The offense goes as Owen McCown goes. The Colorado transfer is now in his fourth year starting at UTSA. His career line reads 671 of 1,035 passing for 7,461 yards, 61 touchdowns and 22 interceptions at a 64.8 completion rate. He returns as part of a 64 percent returning offensive production number. Still, the problem is the unit around him. UTSA ranked 124th in scoring offense and 117th in total offense last season. So new coordinator Rick Bowie has work to do.
The Defense Is The Backbone
The strength of this team lives on defense. Under coordinator Jess Loepp, UTSA finished 14th in scoring defense and 28th in total defense in 2025. That side does have to reload, though. It returns just 44 percent of its production, led by Tai Leonard up front and linebacker Owen Pewee. So the staff also went shopping in the JUCO ranks. They landed corner Asaad Champman, the number three ranked JUCO player in the country, to help patch the losses.
Roster Turnover And New Faces
The roster churn is heavy this offseason. UTSA brought in 40 commits, split evenly between 20 recruits and 20 transfers, with zero top 300 recruits in the class. Also, on offense, Texas Tech wideout TJ West and North Texas tight end Brandon Young Jr. are the names to watch. On defense, the class ranks 82nd overall. It also adds pieces like DE Jeremiah Bailey from Eastern Kentucky and safety Xavier Walton from Angelo State.
The Schedule And The Alamodome Push
The path runs through some tough spots. UTSA opens at home against UTRGV. Then comes the I-35 Showdown at Texas State in week two. After that, the Roadrunners travel to Austin for an SEC test against Texas in week three. The Alamodome hosts Colorado State in week four, Navy in week seven and North Texas in week eleven. Rice, South Florida, Tulane, Florida Atlantic, Charlotte and Tulsa fill out the American Athletic Conference slate. That early stretch, UTRGV then the rivalry game then a trip to an SEC power, sets the tone before conference play even starts. Win two of those first three and the American slate at home in the Alamodome looks manageable behind that defense.
Where’s The Betting Value
The betting market has the Roadrunners at a 7.5 win total. Meanwhile, they are +480 to win the American Athletic Conference and +1000 to make the College Football Playoff. For a team with this much experience at quarterback and a defense that finished 28th in total defense, that number looks beatable if the close games finally break UTSA’s way. Still, the offensive line and receiver room have work to do. They still have to prove last year’s 124th-ranked scoring offense was the exception and not the new normal.
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Podcast Chapters
00:00 Download the SGPN App Today!
02:12 Welcome to The College Football Experience
03:23 A Program Built From Scratch Since 2011
04:44 The Jeff Traylor Era
07:51 Traylor at 53-26 and a Critical Year
09:45 Getting Bit: The Army and Tulsa Losses
15:41 Owen McCown Back at Quarterback
16:41 New Coordinators on Both Sides
19:26 Transfer Portal Losses and Additions
26:20 The Defense Carries the Load
27:20 The Offense and Power Five Departures
29:35 Inside the Alamodome Gameday
33:53 UTSA’s Coaching Tree of Legends
37:50 Game-by-Game Schedule Predictions
43:56 Win Total, AAC and CFP Betting Value
