SAM HOUSTON BEARKATS
Bearkats ready to build for the future
Colton Foster Sports Editor
Cody Chrest
Keegan Shoemaker
Trevor Williams
After 21 wins in the 2021 calendar year , Sam Houston football will face a new challenge on the gridiron .
With the move to Conference USA looming and taking place on July 1 , 2023 , the Kats have nothing to play for this season . They have gone over the number of eligible scholarships to compete for an FCS championship , a WAC title and they are not bowl eligible until at least 2023 .
However , not being able to play for any of that hasn ’ t stopped the Kats from looking to have a successful 2022 football season .
Sam Houston will play a nine-game schedule that will include four games at Elliot T . Bowers Stadium , one game at NRG stadium and four road games . The season opener is against No . 6 Texas A & M .
While the Kats know who they are playing against in Week 1 , some of their roster spots are not guaranteed , including the top spot as the signal caller for the team .
Keegan Shoemaker stepped up in one of the Kats ’ biggest stages . Eric Schmid was held out of the Battle of the Piney Woods game and Shoemaker filled in . For three quarters , it wasn ’ t what the Bearkats had hoped . In crunch time , Shoemaker showed out and proved why he should have a shot at the starting job .
While Shoemaker gave his film , the Kats knew the move to CUSA was looming and hit the transfer portal to find another QB . Sam Houston found Jordan Yates from Georgia Tech .
Yates and Shoemaker have been poised as the top two for the spot . They aren ’ t the only quarterbacks though . Sam Houston also has Trapper Pannell , however , last season he was primarily used as a running back under center .
That ’ s not the only change made . The Bearkats also lost running back Ramon Jefferson to the transfer portal . With him out the Kats went to the portal and found the Oklahoma State transfer , Dezmon Jackson .
Jackson rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns last season for the Cowboys . Sam Houston will also have freshman Zach Hrbacek .
Hrbacek played in four games last season , allowing him to take his redshirt year . In those four games he played , he would carry the ball 22 times for 161 yards .
Like the other positions , Sam Houston will feature a new tight end and the offensive line .
As for the tight end , the Bearkats will have plenty of options . The Kats return Dalton Meyer , Jacob Kainer and Marcus Collins from last season . They also brought in Davidson transfer Jax Sherrard to round out the room .
Dalton is a blocking tight end and did not receive a target last season . Kainer saw two receptions for 43 yards . He is the only returner to have a reception last season as a Bearkat .
However , Sherrard comes in as Davidson ’ s second-leading receiver with
204 yards last season . The offensive line will also be a work in progress for the Bearkats . With
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