STEPHENVILLE – The dictionary defines quarterbacks as individuals who are directors and leaders. In football, successful quarterbacks excel at the position with poise, passing and decision-making.
Tarleton State’s quarterbacks met that standard last season, seeking greater success in 2025.
Led by a trio of veterans meshed with fresh, young talent, the Texans’ quarterbacks are prepared to turn the Texans’ high preseason expectations into reality.
“Any time you have three seniors coming back, you’re going to have a lot of leadership,” offensive coordinator Adam Austin said. “Each one of them leads in their own way. This offseason has been great. They have extra meetings with the new wide receivers and running backs and spend extra time on the field with them on their own. They put a lot more effort this offseason to make sure they are all on the same page. In order for us to be successful and meet those expectations, we have to be together as a unit and they’ve really embraced that.”
Seniors Victor Gabalis and Daniel Greek along with redshirt junior Jaden Pete made key contributions to guide the Texans to their best Division I season in program history. All saw time commanding the Texans’ offense throughout the season, which ended with a trip to the FCS Playoffs.
Gabalis, who enters his third season at Tarleton State, earned UAC Second Team All-Conference honors last season. The senior quarterback was named the unanimous UAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year by the conference and one of 30 players in FCS to be put on the Walter Payton Award watchlist. The Duvall, Washington, native completed his junior campaign completing over 62% of his passes to go with 23 touchdowns. He set career-bests in passing yards, passing touchdowns and passing yards per game (240.3), finishing second in the UAC in all three categories.
The Texans’ captain continued to command in Tarleton State’s first-ever FCS Playoff appearance. Gabalis calmly collected 337 passing yards and two touchdowns, completing 26 of his 37 passes without throwing an interception to help the Texans knock off Drake in their FCS Playoff debut. He followed up his turnover-free performance by setting a program playoff record four passing touchdowns and 379 passing yards at No. 4 seed South Dakota in the second round.
Even with his resume and accolades, Gabalis is still soaking up information like a freshman.
“I’m a senior and I come out here and chase perfection every day, but it’s impossible to be perfect,” Gabalis said. “You’re always learning and you’re always getting better. Chasing perfection with every throw is the goal, but there is always room for growth no matter how old or how young you are. Coach Austin does a great job of reiterating that with us in the meetings.”
Greek saw action in three games last season and made one start at Houston Christian, throwing three touchdown passes to help the Texans to a win in Week 3. Pete played the first two games for the Texans before an injury sidelined him.
In the era of the transfer portal, Greek and Pete could have left to be the front-running starters at another institution. Instead, they remained loyal to Tarleton State.
“It’s unheard of in this day and age to have guys like (Greek and Pete) come back like that,” Austin said. “(The quarterbacks) are really close and they’re a tight-knit group. They’re a family. I’ve never had the type of leadership in that room that I have this year. It allows me as a coach to be a little bit more detailed and challenge them a little bit more every day so they can become better football players.”
The trio of quarterbacks each lead in their own way, ensuring the younger arm slingers are ready to hit the ground running in the future years. With the wealth of knowledge and experience the core of quarterbacks bring to the room, the underclassmen have embraced that role.
“Coming in here, I knew how I was going to have to learn and adjust to everything,” freshman quarterback Cardea Collier said. “(The upperclassmen) have been great. They brought me in and have treated me like family. Having them above me and learning from them each and every day has been great.”
Like the top FCS schools, Tarleton State’s quarterback room consists of skilled, poised, and talented individuals whose desire is to win. While the Texans will be relying on its passing games for high-scoring affairs, Tarleton State will need every player locked in each week in order to come out victorious.
That is a mindset the quarterbacks plan to bring to the huddle from training camp to the playoffs.
“Focus is going to be the No. 1 thing for this year and focus plays a big role in leadership,” Gabalis said. “Our success is going to come down to focus and us coming together as a team. Once we do that and we stay focused, then the ceiling can be high for us.”
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