TXST FOOTBALL
Former Texas State running backs Claude Mathis and Reggie Rivers and former Texas State Head Coach Dennis Franchione will be on the 2026 National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame ballot.
This marks the first time Rivers and Franchione will be on the ballot while Mathis will be on the ballot for the third year in a row.
Mathis is long considered to be one of the greatest running backs in school history, still owning the majority of the rushing records at Texas State.
After rushing for 1,289 yards in 1995, Mathis broke the school record for most rushing yards in a single season with 1,593 yards on 244 attempts during the 1996 season. Mathis also scored 16 rushing touchdowns which remains a school record.
Against Stephen F. Austin, Mathis broke a school record for most rushing yards in a single season with 310 yards on 41 carries, scoring one touchdown in the Bobcats 31-19 win over the No. 7 ranked Lumberjacks and became the first Texas State running back to rush over 300 yards.
During his senior year in the 1997 season, Mathis broke his own school record for most rushing yards in a single season with 1,595 on 311 attempts, both are still school records. Against Jacksonville State, Mathis rushed for 308 yards becoming first and only Bobcat to have multiple 300 yard rushing yards in a single game.
Mathis finished his career at Texas State rushing for 4694 yards on 882 attempts and scoring 45 touchdowns, all of which are school records. Mathis remains the only 4,000 yard rusher in program history.
Rivers played for Texas State from 1987 through 1990 where he led the team in rushing yards both the 1989 and 1990 seasons.
During the 1990 season, Rivers rushed for 1,145 yards on 215 carries. Against Stephen F. Austin, Rivers rushed for a career high 176 yards and one touchdown in the Bobcats 24-0 win over the Lumberjacks.
Rivers helped lead the Bobcats to a 6-5 overall record in 1990, Texas State’s first winning season since 1984.
Franchione took over the Texas State football program in two stints, the first coming from 19901991 then later from 2011-2015.
In Franchione’s first year at Texas State in 1990, he led the Bobcats to their first winning season since 1984 with a 6-5 overall record where the team was ranked as high as No. 13.
The next season, Franchione led the Bobcats to back to back winning seasons, finishing the year with a 7-4 overall record.
Franchione was then hired at New Mexico the next season where he had a prolific coaching career with stops at TCU, Alabama and Texas A&M before returning to Texas State in 2011.
Franchione then helped the program through the transition from FCS to FBS, coaching the team from 2011-2015. The high mark came during the 2014 season where Texas State finished with a record of 7-5. Unfortunately for the team, despite having seven wins, the Bobcats were not selected to a bowl game that season due to the limited amount of bids available.
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Above, Claude Mathis rushed for 310 yards to set a new program record for most rushing yards in a single game in the Bobcats upset win over No. 7 Stephen F. Austin during the 1996 season. Below left, Reggie Rivers evades the tackle in the Bobcats home game against Stephen F. Austin in the 1990 season. Below right, Head Coach Dennis Franchione gives advice during the 2011 offseason. Daily Record Archives
