Sam Houston State Football Adds 15 to 2026 Roster | Bearkats Recruiting News
- HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Sam Houston State University head football coach Phil Longo announced the signing of 15 high school players on Thursday, February 5, 2026, bolstering the Bearkats’...
- The Bearkats finished with a 2-10 record in Longo’s first year, including a 1-7 mark in Conference USA play.
- We wanted to recruit guys that we thought had a chance to dent the roster sooner in their career rather than later.
Sam Houston State Football Adds 15 Prep Players, Eyes Program Rebuild
HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Sam Houston State University head football coach Phil Longo announced the signing of 15 high school players on , bolstering the Bearkats’ roster as the program looks to improve following a challenging 2025 season.
The Bearkats finished with a 2-10 record in Longo’s first year, including a 1-7 mark in Conference USA play. The incoming class represents a focused effort to quickly add impact players, according to Longo.
“We did not want to recruit depth,” Longo said. “We didn’t want to recruit long shots. We didn’t want to recruit developmental players. We wanted to recruit guys that we thought had a chance to dent the roster sooner in their career rather than later. There are no guarantees, and we didn’t make any, but we are thrilled to welcome this class.”
Eleven of the 15 signees hail from Texas high schools. Eight players have been rated as 3-star prospects by 247 Sports.
New Bearkats: A Look at the Signees
The list of incoming players includes:
- Marcus Bourda Jr. • S • 6-1 • 175 • Humble, Texas / Humble HS
- MJ Dowdy • RB • 5-10 • 205 • Winder, Ga. / Barrow HS
- Brett Holloway • QB • 5-11 • 190 • Melissa, Texas / Melissa HS
- Mason Holtzclaw • QB • 6-4 • 205 • Carrollton, Ga. / Carrollton HS
- Myles Joseph • OL • 6-5 • 315 • Vinton, La. / Lake Charles College Prep
- CJ June • S • 5-10 • 185 • Prince George’s County, Md. / Westfield HS (IN)
- Ryan Mallory • LB • 6-1 • 200 • Richmond, Texas / Randle HS
- Robert McFarland • S • 5-10 • 200 • Houston, Texas / Lamar HS
- Jack Merryman • TE • 6-4 • 215 • Montgomery, Texas / Montgomery HS
- Ty Sexton • WR • 5-10 • 180 • Katy, Texas / Bridgeland HS
- Jabaric Sullivan • DB • 6-0 • 180 • The Woodlands, Texas / The Woodlands HS
- Uzziah Warmate • DT • 6-0 • 260 • Denton, Texas / Ryan HS
- Errol West Jr. • DT • 6-0 • 240 • Little Rock, Ark. / Denton Ryan HS (TX)
- Tr’e Williams • OL • 6-3 • 310 • Huntsville, Texas / Huntsville HS
- Kaden Winkfield • RB • 5-11 • 190 • Aledo, Texas / Aledo HS
Bearkat Athlete Heads to UCLA
In related news, Sam Houston State punter Curtis Gerrand has transferred to UCLA, it was announced.
Athletics Funding Boost
Sam Houston State’s athletic department recently launched Competitive Excellence Funds, though the direct impact on the football program was not detailed in available reports.