With the beginning of May always comes the start of the next football season. The Badgers began May ball this week which marks the first time the team has conducted any football activity since last season ended.
The players and coaches have been able to conduct some teamwork and get their first looks at what the Badgers could be in 2026.
According to head coach Troy Rogers, the Badgers are returning about six starters on both offense and defense from last season, including five offensive linemen.
Even with those returners, there are a lot of position battles going on. Most of the skill positions such as quarterback, running back and wide receiver will have almost all new personnel.
Tripp Stinnett was last season’s backup quarterback and he, Ross Kothmann, Joseph Bustamante and Rylan Chapa are all taking reps and battling for the quarterback job in the fall.
The Badgers have participated in a couple of 7-on-7 events, and they have more in their future as Gatesville is scheduled to come to Lampasas for three straight weeks in June. That will be the Badgers’ next action against another opponent, even though 7-on-7 certainly doesn’t qualify as football.
Rogers prefers not to speak on who might be starters or who won’t be returning in the fall, and fans are certainly a long way away from the start of the season.
Overall, the coach showed a lot of excitement to have his players back on the field and participating in football activities.
“We purposely wait to pick up a football just so our kids are excited and ready to pick up a football, and they are every time we get to it,” Rogers said. “Every job is open right now. We’ve got guys battling for spots, and they’re going to continue doing that throughout the summer. But as a collective whole as a coaching staff, I think we feel pretty good about where we are right now.”
He also emphasized how big it is that his program has really good depth right now. That leads to competition all over the field through the summer, which will only make the team better once that first Friday night rolls around and the Badgers take on Gatesville in the seasonopener.
Rogers also identified linebacker on the defensive side of the ball as a position where a lot of battling is going on due to primarily an entirely new group coming in after Tate Langford and Corbin Kepler have graduated.
Some returning production in the secondary with players such as Colter Sellers, Jonathan Bowling, Edwin Gonzalez and Trent Rogers helps with building the continuity back there.
Rogers said where the team is now feels pretty good compared to where last year’s team was at this time. Although he has no idea what the season will bring, he likes where the group is right now.
The Badgers are set to compete in a new district and a new region.
They will play Stephenville, Jarrell, Burnet, Marble Falls and China Spring in district competition, and Region III teams in the postseason.
Lampasas will look to improve upon a 9-3 season a year ago competing in a district that is either as tough as or more difficult than last season’s and certainly competing in a difficult region compared to Region I where the Badgers were the past couple of years.
