For those of you wondering, yes, the Valley has several players on FBS rosters. Unfortunately, none of our local sports news outlets covered their seasons at all.
Fortunately, your lonely friends at The Bench Wire scoured through all 134 FBS school rosters to bring you this year’s RGV college football player 2023 season recap.
Here’s the list of RGV football players who were on D1-FBS rosters this past season:
| Name | Position | School | Class | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erik Pizarro | WR | Kansas State | Senior | Rio Hondo, TX |
| Kali Nguma | PK | North Texas | Freshman | Mission, TX |
| Aaron Trevino | DB | Texas A&M | Freshman | La Feria, TX |
| Nathan Huerta | DT | Texas State | RS-Sophomore | Harlingen, TX |
| Eddie Lee Marburger | QB | UTSA | RS-Sophomore | McAllen, TX |
| Anthony Santoscoy | DT | UTSA | Sophomore | San Juan, TX |
| Kelechi Nwachuku | DB | UTSA | RS-Senior | McAllen, TX |
Let’s recap each of their respective seasons.
Erik Pizarro, WR, Kansas State, Senior, Rio Hondo
Pizarro transferred to Kansas State from Lamar University for his final year of eligibility. For his final season, Pizarro caught 1 pass for 5 yards against the Houston Cougars.
Kali Nguma, PK, North Texas, Freshman, Mission
Nguma did not see the field this season as he was preserved with a redshirt. He is listed as the only other placekicker on the Mean Green’s roster and is likely to see the field next season as a redshirt freshman.
Aaron Trevino, DB, Texas A&M, Freshman, La Feria
Trevino did not acquire any statistics on the field last season and was listed as Freshman last season although he has been enrolled on campus since 2022.
On Trevino’s X account, he lists himself as a “route runner,” possibly indicating a change in position. Trevino played quarterback at La Feria High.
Nathan Huerta, DT, Texas State, RS-Sophomore, Harlingen
According to Texas State’s roster, Huerta did not see playing time this season, but contributed to the scout team.
Eddie Lee Marburger, QB, UTSA, RS-Sophomore, McAllen
Marburger started the year behind longtime Roadrunners starter Frank Harris. Following Harris’ injury, Marburger started two games against Army and Tennessee, throwing for 300 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception.
Marburger was replaced by Colorado transfer Owen McCown, son of former NFL quarterback Josh McCown, in the middle of UTSA’s game against Tennessee following an interception. McCown would go 18-20, throwing for 172 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.
Late in the season, McCown got the nod over Marburger in the 2o23 Frisco Bowl and is currently the favorite to start for the Roadrunners next season. Given that McCown will only be entering his RS-Sophomore season, Marburger may need to make a decision to transfer for an opportunity to start.
Anthony Santoscoy, DT, UTSA, RS-Sophomore, San Juan
Santoscoy did not record any stats this past season.
Kelechi Nwachuku, DB, UTSA, RS-Senior, McAllen
Nwachuku played safety in 13 games, earning the starting nod in 7, racking up 37 tackles and 1 fumble recovery to close out his career with UTSA. It is currently unclear whether he will look for an opportunity at the next level.
