EDINBURG — UTRGV has been busy on the recruiting trail as head coach Travis Bush and staff build the first football team in school history. This week, several Rio Grande Valley high school football standouts received offers as preferred walk-ons to join the UTRGV football team as the program prepares for launch in 2024 and 2025.
PSJA North’s Alejandro Aparicio, twins Danny and Dante Garcia, Joe Derek Vecchio, McAllen High’s Max Alvarez, San Benito’s Fabian Garcia and Brownsville Veterans’ Nick Tovar all received offers as preferred walk-ons from the UTRGV coaching staff.
PSJA North junior quarterback/athlete Alejandro Aparicio threw for 1,715 yards and 21 touchdowns, ran for 957 yards and 17 touchdowns, and caught one pass for 34 yards last season. Aparicio was named The Monitor’s 2022 All-Area Player of the Year last season, earning a spot on the RGVSports.com All-Valley team.
Raiders’ junior defensive lineman Danny Garcia tallied 129 total tackles, 28 tackles for a loss, 5.5 sacks, 21 quarterback hurries and four pass deflections. Dante Garcia, who played left tackle, had 131 pancake blocks in 13 games.
PSJA North junior center Joe Derek Vecchio recorded 65 pancake blocks in 10 games. All three PSJA North lineman earned spots on the 2022 RGVSports.com All-Valley team, with the twin siblings also garnering The Monitor’s All-Area Co-Linemen of the Year honors.
McAllen High junior athlete Obed “Max” Alvarez played offense and defense for the Bulldogs, posting 564 receiving yards, 350 rushing yards, 11 total touchdowns including one on kickoff return, 45 tackles and one interception. His standout season earned him a spot on the The Monitor’s 2022 All-Area first team at the utility player role.
San Benito junior running back Fabian Garcia led the Valley in rushing in 2022 with 2,230 yards on 221 carries for an average of 10.1 yards per carry. He finished with 29 rushing touchdowns and also added seven receptions for 103 yards and one receiving touchdown. Garcia’s record-setting season landed him on the inaugural RGVSports.com All-Valley team, while also winning the Valley Morning Star’s Offensive Player of the Year award.
Brownsville Veterans junior tight end Nick Tovar caught eight passes for 72 yards and three touchdowns to go with 11 pancake blocks in the Chargers’ run-heavy offense. Tovar, like the rest of the athletes, earned postseason recognition last year, named to the Brownsville Herald’s All-Area First Team.
Coach Bush and company have also extended offers to Boerne quarterback Jaxon Baize (Class of 2025); Manvel edge rusher Jalen Charles, defensive back Avery Demery and defensive lineman Mason Fleming; Galena Park North Shore linebacker Dillon Dixon; Summer Creek defensive end Kyran Duhon; Klein Collins defensive back Chris Gant Jr.; Gregory-Portland athlete Colton Harrison and linebacker/tight end Brodie Mitchell; Brock tight end Jaxon Hart and offensive lineman Brock Riker; Terrell defensive back Marquel Hambric; Converse Judson linebacker Jaiden Haygood; San Antonio Veterans linebacker Aaron Hoyle; Cypress Creek defensive lineman Nicholas Igwe; Austin Westlake running back Jack Kayser, wide receiver Heath McRee; Smithson Valley offensive lineman William Mack; Clear Falls linebacker Le’Kell Mc’Gowan; Round Rock offensive lineman Luke Miller; Katy defensive back Jed Olotu-Judah; Pflugerville Weiss defensive lineman Chidera Otutu; Houston Conroe defensive back Isaiah Pruitt; Pasadena Dobie defensive back Charles Richard; Corpus Christi Veterans receiver/defensive back Christian Sabsook; Ingleside defensive back/receiver Jaydon Smith; Richardson Berkner outside linebacker Yamil Talib; Brazoswood linebacker Caleb Warren.
UTRGV football plans to conduct a practice year in 2024 before beginning to officially compete at the Division I level in 2025.
CAMP SEASON
UTRGV is partnering with Texas A&M-Kingsville to host a football camp from 9-11 a.m. Saturday at Richard R. Flores Stadium in Edinburg. The camp is run by Texas A&M-Kingsville. For more information, email [email protected].
UTRGV football will also be in attendance at Texas State and UTSA’s football camp on June 1, Houston’s Camp on June 2, Southern Methodist’s (SMU) camp on June 3 and Texas Christian’s (TCU) camp on June 4.
| UTRGV and Texas A&M-Kingsville partnering to host Football Camp on Saturday at Richard R. Flores Stadium in Edinburg. Courtesy Graphic. |
| Texas A&M-Kingsville Summer Camp Schedule. Courtesy Graphic. |
UTRGV football will also be in attendance at Texas State and UTSA’s football camp on June 1, Houston’s Camp on June 2, Southern Methodist’s (SMU) camp on June 3 and Texas Christian’s (TCU) camp on June 4.
| UTRGV Football Summer Camp Schedule. Courtesy Graphic. |