Jonathan Shepherd is officially on a new streak.

Texas State offered the rising senior receiver from Kilgore and did so less than 24 after Texas Tech made the same move. Shepherd, who reported the latest development through his personal Twitter account, now has nine offers from NCAA Division I FBS programs.

The receiver recorded 260 yards and three touchdowns on 17 receptions last season in a run-heavy offense.

Kilgore finished the 2016 season with a 7-5 record and won a majority share of the District 9-4A Division I championship with signature wins against Carthage and Henderson. Carthage went on to win the Class 4A Division I state championship while Kilgore advanced two rounds into the postseason.

Texas State went 2-10 last season under first-year coach and 28-year coaching veteran Everett Withers.

While the Bobcats did not immediately thrive within or outside of Sun Belt Conference competition, their fans see a glimmer of hope on the horizon. James Madison, Withers’ former program, won the FCS national championship mostly with players Withers’ staff had recruited.

Withers, previously a highly-regarded defensive coordinator, also got a crash course with FBS head coaching duties prior to joining Texas State. He led North Carolina as its interim coach for the full 2011 season after Butch Davis got fired and placed the Tarheels in a bowl game.

Urban Meyer hired Withers after the 2011 season to serve as his first defensive coordinator at Ohio State.

A slow start at Texas State didn’t prevent the Bobcats from obtaining one of the region’s most explosive quarterbacks. Lufkin signal-caller Kordell Rodgers signed with the program in February and is expected to enroll after high school graduation later this month.

Withers’ Texas State staff secured a commitment from a second East Texas prospect in the past cycle, but the prospect ended up signing with a junior college.

This cycle, the Bobcats now have seven offers out to local players.

Shepherd, like all college football prospects currently in their junior year of high school, will become eligible to sign with any program that offers him in December.

2018 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers

  • Tre Allison, John Tyler, OLB, 6-0, 200 — committed to SMU; additional offers from Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State, Texas State, Tulane, ULL (7)
  • Chance Amie, Tyler Lee, QB, 6-3, 190 — offers from Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Central Florida, Cincinnati, Colorado State, Georgia State, Houston, Iowa State, North Texas, Rutgers, Southern Miss, Syracuse, Tulane, ULL, Virginia (15)
  • Xavier Benson, Pleasant Grove, LB, 6-0, 200 — offers from Arkansas State, Army, North Texas, SMU, Southern Miss, Texas State, Texas Tech, Tulane, ULL, ULM (10)
  • Drake Centers, Tatum, OL, 6-4, 295 — offers from SMU, Texas State (2)
  • Kris Dike, Van, OL, 6-6, 283 — offers from Colorado, Houston, North Texas, Oklahoma State, SMU, TCU (6)
  • Dekalen Goodson, John Tyler, DE/OLB, 6-2, 215 — offers from Houston, Mississippi State, SMU, Texas State, Tulane, ULL (6)
  • Trae Hall, Henderson, QB/ATH, 6-3, 185 — offers from Florida Atlantic, ULL (2)
  • Conner Henson, Harmony, OL, 6-4, 250 — offers from ULL, ULM (2)
  • Chasen Hines, Marshall, OL, 6-3, 340 — committed to LSU; additional offers from Arizona, Baylor, Louisiana Tech, Minnesota, North Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Rice, Southern Miss, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State, Texas Tech (16)
  • Tevailance Hunt, Texas High, WR, 6-2, 180 — committed to Kansas; additional offers from Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Iowa State, Louisiana Tech, Marshall University, Nevada, North Texas, Southern Miss, Tulsa (10)
  • Keaontay Ingram, Carthage, RB, 6-0, 198 — offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Colorado, Florida State, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, LSU, Memphis, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Oregon State, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCLA, USC, UTSA (27)
  • Malik Jackson, Lufkin, WR, 5-8, 165 — offer from Arkansas State (1)
  • DeMarvion Overshown, Arp, S, 6-4, 196 — offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Clemson, Colorado, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Houston, Kansas, Kansas State, LSU, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, SMU, South Carolina, Southern Miss, Stanford, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, USC, UTSA (30)
  • Jonathan Shepherd, Kilgore, WR, 6-3, 196 — offers from Colorado State, Florida Atlantic, Kansas State, ULM, New Mexico, Oregon State, TCU, Texas State, Texas Tech (9)
  • Tyree Wilson, West Rusk, LB, 6-5, 225 — committed to Washington State; additional offers from Kansas, SMU, Southern Miss, Texas State, ULL, ULM, Wyoming (8)

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