AUSTIN (KXAN) — It's a college football game unlike any other, and plenty of Texans are participating.
Army and Navy meet for the 125th time at 2 p.m. CT Saturday (on CBS) from Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, home of the NFL's Washington Commanders. It's the only college game this weekend, a week after the conference championships and a week before the College Football Playoff, giving the game the national stage it deserves. The winner will claim the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy.
The service academies first met in 1890, a 24-0 shutout victory for the Midshipmen, and have played nearly every year since 1899. The teams didn't play in 1917-1918 due to World War I or 1928-1929 due to a disagreement on eligibility standards.
Navy leads the all-time series 62-55-7, but the Black Knights have won the past two meetings in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Army claimed a 17-11 win in 2023 at Gillette Stadium, holding off a Midshipmen rally in the fourth quarter, and 20-17 in an overtime thriller at Lincoln Financial Field in 2022. That was the first game in series history to go to overtime.
Texans are scattered throughout both rosters with a few from the Central Texas region and KXAN viewing area. There are 30 Texans listed on Army's roster, including "Captain America," senior quarterback Bryson Daily. An Abernathy native, he finished sixth in the 2024 Heisman Trophy voting and is tied with Boise State's Ashton Jeanty for the FBS lead with 29 rushing touchdowns, playing in two fewer games than Jeanty.
Three Austinites are playing for the Black Knights, two from Westlake High School. Jack Kayser is a freshman running back, and Charlie Barnett is a junior kicker. Trey Sofia, a senior defensive lineman, went to Lake Travis. Andon Thomas, a junior linebacker, is from Liberty Hill.
The Midshipmen's roster features 29 Texans with a handful from the Austin area. Wimberley's Hansen Collie is a freshman defensive lineman and McNeil's Luke Hutchinson is a sophomore wide receiver. Senior tight end Thomas Scully is from Austin and went to Regents, and Griffin Willis is a sophomore nose guard who went to Lake Travis.
Both teams are bowl-eligible. Army (11-1) is slated to play Marshall on Dec. 28 in the Independence Bowl and Navy (8-3) faces Oklahoma on Dec. 27 in the Armed Forces Bowl. Army won the American Athletic Conference championship 35-14 over the Tulane Green Wave.
Texans on the Army Black Knights roster in alphabetical order
- Amir Ali, soph., DL, San Antonio (Holy Cross)
- Henry Appleton, soph., OL, Denton (Ryan)
- Pookie Arterberry, fr., SB, Klein (Klein)
- Charlie Barnett, jr., K, Austin (Westlake)
- Tex Brannan, fr., TE, Whitesboro (Gonzaga College High)
- Adam Cash, sr., LB, Arlington (Mansfield Timberview)
- Everett Champlin, fr., OL, Spring (The Woodlands)
- David Clark, soph., SB, Burleson (Centennial)
- Dewayne Coleman, jr., QB, Selma (Theodore Roosevelt)
- Bryson Daily, sr., QB, Abernathy (Abernathy)
- Max DiDomencio, sr., S, Schertz (Clemens)
- Brian Dyer, soph., TE, Plano (East)
- Matthew Gibbons, jr., P, San Antonio (Brandeis)
- Cale Hellums, soph., QB, Tomball (Tomball)
- Samari Howard, soph., SB, Temple (Temple)
- Chuck Johnson, fr., OL, Fort Worth (All Saints Episcopal)
- Bill Katsigiannis, sr., OL, Katy (Katy)
- Jack Kayser, fr., SB, Austin (Westlake)
- Tyler Lee, soph., OL, Tomball (Tomball)
- Zach Mundell, jr., QB, Arlington (Martin)
- Stephen Nnadozie, soph., S, Fort Worth (Fossil Ridge)
- Cade Patton, sr., CB, Allen (Allen)
- Aden Self, fr., RB, Spring (The Woodlands)
- Trey Sofia, sr., DL, Austin (Lake Travis)
- JD Sparks, soph., S, Southlake (Carroll)
- Ish Taylor, fr., CB, Dallas (Frisco)
- Andon Thomas, jr., LB, Liberty Hill (Liberty Hill)
- Jayden Walker, fr., RB, McKinney (McKinney)
- Elijah Walton, fr., LB, San Antonio (Harlan)
- Sam Waters, fr., OL, Boerne (Boerne)
Texans on the Navy Midshipmen roster in alphabetical order
- Prosper Akanna, fr., SB, Sachse (Sachse)
- Micahel Barrow, fr., SB, Grand Prairie (James Martin)
- Javan Bouton, sr., OL, Carrollton (Prestonwood Christian)
- Jacob Carlson, fr., K/P, Plano (John Paul II)
- Hansen Collie, fr., DT, San Marcos (Wimberley)
- Jackson Cude, fr., LS, Lubbock (Lubbock)
- Trey Cummings, sr., OL, Houston (Westfield)
- Jackson Gutierrez, fr., QB, San Antonio (John Jay)
- Phillip Hamilton, fr., CB, Fort Worth (Centennial)
- Luke Hutchinson, soph., WR, Round Rock (McNeil)
- Greg Johnson II, soph., CB, Ovilla (Midlothian Heritage)
- Xavier LeJeune, fr., CB, Midlothian (Midlothian)
- TaMarques McNeal, fr., NG, Garland (Garland)
- Logan Point, sr., FB, Celina (Celina)
- Wayne Pritts, fr., TE, Argyle (Argyle)
- Michael Reemts, soph., OL, Celina (Celina)
- Matt Reyes, soph., DT, Friendswood (Friendswood)
- Justice Rider, soph., LB/DE, Dallas (Rockwall Heath)
- Riley Riethman, sr., P, Keller (Nolan Catholic)
- Jackson Runyan, fr., K, Frisco (Reedy)
- Thomas Scully, sr., TE, Austin (Regents)
- Brent Self, sr., OL, Keller (Byron Nelson)
- Giuseppe Sessi, soph., S, San Antonio (Reagan)
- Kenzo Viteri, jr., FB, Spring (Klein)
- Chris Viveros, fr., WR, Frisco (Lone Star)
- Maxwell Williams, fr., S, League City (Clear Falls)
- Griffen Willis, soph., NG, Austin (Lake Travis)
- Gavin Woods, soph., LB/DL, Bulverde (Smithson Valley)
- Karson Young, fr., OL, Lubbock (Coronado)
