BLINN FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information

The 2024 campaign came down to the wire for the Blinn College football team, with the Buccaneers missing out on a Southwest Junior College Football Conference playoff spot by the slimmest of margins. 

As Blinn prepares for its season opener against Transformation With Athletics at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Cub Stadium in Brenham, Texas, Bucs head coach Ryan Mahon is set to deploy a reloaded roster designed for postseason success. 

“We brought in players who are hungry, players who understand what we’re trying to accomplish as a program, and players who understand how to finish ballgames,” Mahon said. “After enduring a series of tough losses last season, we made it a priority to find players who will make the right plays in big moments. You can never have enough of that.” 

Though Blinn finished the 2024 season with a 4-5 record and a 2-5 mark in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference (SWJCFC), the Bucs were fingertips from a much different year. Each of Blinn’s four losses came by eight points or less, and its defense proved to be one of the best in the NJCAA with just 16.8 points allowed per game.  

Mahon’s focus this offseason was on his offense, which he runs alongside his role as the team’s head coach. The Bucs scored at a rate of 27.9 points per contest in 2024, a number Mahon said needs to improve for his team to be successful in the SWJCFC and beyond. 

Mahon added that that starts at the quarterback position, and the ninth-year head coach put the position at the forefront of his recruiting efforts in the spring. 

“Our QB room has improved, as we’ve added guys with serious football knowledge,” Mahon explained. “We went out looking for guys who love the game of football, who understand defenses, who are winners, and who always find a way to put their team in the right position. I believe we’ve done that.” 

An intense competition has produced three freshman signal callers vying for the top spot. Heading into week one, Jack Emerson is expected to take the reins. The 6-foot Willis, Texas, product was electric in his senior season at Willis High School, where he led the Wildcats to a 12-1 record while throwing for 4,102 yards and 51 touchdowns. 

Behind Emerson is Trevor Long, who was a standout in his senior campaign at Corpus Christi Miller High School. Long threw for 4,012 yards and 50 touchdowns while leading Miller to an 11-3 record in 2024. 

Also in the mix atop the QB depth chart is redshirt freshman Nathen Lewis, an Elgin, Texas, product who transferred from Texas A&M-Kingsville. Lewis provides dynamism as a dual-threat passer. 

The QB room also includes freshman Gunner Nelson from Katy High School. Nelson was a two-year starter for one of Texas’ top programs and compiled 37 touchdown passes and 2,896 yards in his two varsity seasons. 

“There’s no doubt that any one of these guys could lead this offense,” Emerson said. “I came out to practice every day with the understanding that I had to win the starting job all over again, and I’m thankful for coach Mahon giving me this opportunity to take the lead in game one.” 

The Bucs have also hit the reset button at running back, where they have five capable freshmen ready to go. 

Among them is Emerson’s high school teammate Terri Lawrence, as well as first-year backs Semaj Gatson, Landon Bridges, Lorenn “Bubba” Johnson, and Jordan Hayes.  

As excited as Mahon is for his quarterback depth, he has been equally delighted with his depth and talent at wide receiver and tight end. 

A total of 18 pass catchers (receivers and tight ends) have made the roster, including second-year Bucs Tracy James Jr. and Cedric Nash. 

“Leading this group of receivers is amazing because all of the talent and ability is already there,” James Jr. said. “They came here prepared to work, compete, and win, and you can’t coach that. I think we all have the ability to make our quarterbacks even better than they already are and put some serious points on the scoreboard.” 

Mahon said the veteran leadership James Jr. and Nash provide should help boost an exciting group that possesses enough skill and speed to rival 2019’s Blinn wide receiver class that produced NFL receivers Xavier Hutchinson and Danny Gray.  

Skill at the receiver position is essential to Mahon’s spread offense, which regularly features four-receiver sets. 

“These guys can flat-out run, and they can play,” Mahon said. “If you asked me who was going to start this week, I’d tell you, ‘great question,’ because they can all go and are constantly challenging each other for depth chart positioning. I can honestly envision a situation where all of these kids are taking the field at some point this season.” 

On the offensive line, the Bucs return just two starters, but Mahon said the group of blockers is learning and improving quickly. 

On the other side of the football, Mahon has revamped his defensive unit with a mix of freshmen and sophomores. 

Sophomore brothers Deuce and Tre Williams return to anchor the defensive line, with sophomore CJ Anizor back in the mix at defensive end.  

Behind the line are sophomore returners Caden Baldwin, Frankedric Powell, and Adrian Prean Jr., who lead a large but young corps of linebackers. 

In the secondary, sophomores Yohana “KK” Kaniaru, Kolin Garner, and Porter Johnson have returned to steer a group of young defensive backs. 

“We have big shoes to fill, but this defense has the ability to be just as good – if not better – than the great defense we had last season,” Johnson said. “We have speed, we have size, and we have guys that want to get to the quarterback and take the football away. Our biggest goals will be to keep teams out of the end zone and to finish games in big moments.” 

Following its season opener, Blinn will have a bye in week two before hosting Community Christian College for its final non-conference tilt of the season. 

The Bucs open SWJCFC play at home against New Mexico Military Institute at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20. 

Blinn’s conference should again be among the best in the NJCAA, with No. 4 Navarro College, No. 8 Tyler Junior College, No. 10 Kilgore College, and No. 11 Trinity Valley Community College all entering the season ranked in the NJCAA Division I Top 15 poll.  

“To make it out of this conference and earn a conference playoff spot, you have to face some of the best programs in junior college football, and you wouldn’t want it any other way,” Mahon said. “There are no easy ones here; you have to bring it every single Saturday regardless of who you’re playing. It’s tough to navigate this conference, but when you do it and do it with a winning record, you’ve proven yourself. I can’t wait to see how our guys answer the challenge this season.”