MISSION — One of the Rio Grande Valley’s top quarterback-receiver combinations in recent years is set to reunite in the ‘Alamo City’ as Sharyland Pioneer Class of 2020 wideout Luke Padilla recently accepted an offer to join the University of Texas at San Antonio football team as a preferred walk-on.
“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always been excited to watch people play football at such a high level in college and the NFL, just watching them and wanting to be like them. Now, I got the opportunity and I took it, and I’m trying to be the best me I can be,” Padilla said.
After graduating from Pioneer in May of 2020, Padilla enrolled at UTSA for the fall semester. Now, the 6-foot-3-inch receiver will return to the football field as he officially joins the Roadrunners football program starting this semester.
“I’ve just been working my tail off, trying to get stronger, get faster and focus on school. I’m excited; I’m ready,” Padilla said. “It’s been a while since I’ve been in the competitive nature of football and I’m ready to get back in the grind.”
At UTSA, Padilla will suit up alongside Pioneer quarterback and UTSA 2021 signee Eddie Lee Marburger. The pair have played together dating back to the sixth and seventh grade as teammates on the same Texas Youth Football Association (TYFA) team.
From their little league days to the Friday night lights suiting up for Sharyland Pioneer, the two have always had chemistry.
“This all started when we were about 12-years-old playing TYFA football. We got this brand new quarterback (Marburger) and they said ‘hey, he’s pretty good’; and ever since then, we’ve always had that connection,” Padilla said. “To be given the opportunity to go up there, and with a quarterback I’ve basically been with my whole football career, it’s a blessing. Can’t really get much better than that.”
During the 2019-20 season as a senior at Pioneer playing with Marburger, Padilla posted 63 catches for 1,078 yards and 18 touchdowns in 13 games as the Diamondbacks’ No. 1 receiver. He also earned All-Area honors. In two years with Pioneer, Padilla recorded 94 receptions, 1,557 yards and 22 touchdowns.
“Chemistry is a big part of football, especially between a quarterback and receiver. Just knowing how fast they’re going, when they’re gonna break, how they break, it all comes from playing together for such a long time,” Padillla said of playing with Marburger. “I can’t wait to see how we perform up there.”
Marburger, who just completed his senior season with Pioneer and will be early enrolling at UTSA this spring, said he’s excited to team up with Padilla as quarterback and receiver once again, but this time as Roadrunners.
“He’s probably one of the best receivers I’ve ever played with. We worked out a few days ago and he looks really good, he looks explosive,” Marburger said. “It’s been a journey for sure, now we get to do some damage with UTSA.”
Padilla and Marburger will be joining a football team on the rise as the UTSA Roadrunners just wrapped up the 2020-21 season with a 7-5 overall record under first-year head coach Jeff Traylor, which was only the fourth winning campaign for UTSA in the program’s nine years. UTSA also finished No. 2 in Conference-USA’s West Division with a 5-2 conference record.
“They gave me a chance and I took it. I just can’t wait to get up there and see what’s in store,” Padilla said.