Texas State Bobcats are preparing for the 2026 season with a stern stance against any form of misconduct. And in keeping with this stance, they had to dismiss their running back, following a serious off-field incident.

According to the American-Statesman, a spokesperson from the program confirmed the exclusion of Burrell from the program after he “was booked and charged last Thursday with a third-degree felony of deadly conduct/discharge of a firearm”. Notwithstanding, he was released on cash bond shortly thereafter.

Heading into the 2026 season, the consensus was that Burrell would be the starting running back. However, he has now faced the same result he ran away from in January, after entering the transfer portal, only to later opt out and return to Texas State.

Burrell joined the Bobcats as a transfer from UNLV in 2025 and spent just one season in San Marcos. In his lone season, he served as Lincoln Pare’s backup, rushing for 671 yards and three touchdowns on 100 carries.  He was to take Pare’s place after the running back exhausted his eligibility.

The 2025 season was his second active year after spending his freshman season at UNLV, where he ran for 366 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 65 carries.

With him, the Bobcats had a decent 2025, finishing with a 6-6 regular season record and a 41-10 win in the bowl game. Their rushing offense was one of the best in the Sun Belt, with 3,131 yards on 59 attempts and 36 rushing touchdowns.

Pare was one of the key contributors, having 1,128 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, alongside quarterback Brad Jackson, who had a record-breaking season throwing for 3, 224 passing yards and 21 touchdowns, and rushing for 744 yards and 17 rushing touchdowns.

Despite losing their 2025 RB1 and their projected 2026 RB1, the Bobcats are not short of options in the running back room. Redshirt senior Jaylen Jenkins is a key figure in the RB room, rushing for 130 yards and two touchdowns in 2025. Torrance Burgess Jr. is also a redshirt senior who has been recovering from a torn ACL since last September.

While recruiting Juntavious Harris in the 2026 recruiting class, the team also has other players in the RB room, although inexperienced: redshirt freshman and former three-star recruit Cole Pryor, redshirt sophomore Taji Atkins, and redshirt freshmen Davian Jackson and Bradley Sowersby.

Undoubtedly, Burrell’s presence in the running back room would have brought much skill and experience to the team. However, the program is keen on maintaining its disciplinary standard regardless of the player involved.

Texas State’s history with similar misconduct

This is not the first time the Bobcats have experienced misconduct from a player in a case very similar to Burrell’s. Tunde Adeleye, a defensive end who transferred from the Michigan Spartans after the 2023 season. was arrested at Blanco Residential Hall on campus in February 2024.

According to the University Star, he was charged with four charges: unlawfully carrying a weapon, evading arrest with a vehicle, reckless driving, and failure to identify.

Adeleye left the Bobcats after that season and moved to UNLV, before his transfer in the January transfer portal to Syracuse. It is his fifth program in five years.

Having dealt with Adeleye’s case in the past. Their decision to exclude Burrell from the roster would have been an easy one. And once again, it will serve as a deterrent to other players to stay out of trouble.