Austin, TX
Texas vs Arizona State: Ex-Longhorn Xavion Alford leads Sun Devils against his former team
Texas football talks defense before Peach Bowl against Arizona State
American-Statesman reporters discuss what members of the Texas defense told the media on Friday and Arizona State offensive players to keep an eye on.
When Arizona State faces Texas in the quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoff on Wednesday afternoon, some Sun Devils will experience a full-circle moment at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Arizona State receiver Troy Omeire started his collegiate career at Texas. So did defensive linemen Prince Dorbah and Zac Swanson. Texas fans, do you remember Jake Smith? The receiver who originally signed with Texas during the 2019 recruiting cycle is now a Sun Devil senior.
The most notable of Arizona State’s Texas Exes is Xavion Alford. A junior safety, Alford spent the 2020 season at Texas. Four years and two transfers later, he is Arizona State’s second-leading tackler.
“Now getting to play against (Texas) somewhere else, it’s kind of like the best of both worlds. I played with them, and now I get to play against them,” Alford said on Friday.
Alford’s journey to Arizona State includes stops in Austin, Los Angeles
Alford is a Texas kid. Once a four-star prospect out of Pearland’s Shadow Creek High, Alford was a member of UT’s Class of 2020. Since his last name begins with an “A,” Alford was actually the first recruit that former Texas coach Tom Herman spoke about at his signing day press conference on Dec. 18, 2019. “(He’s) physical, athletic,” Herman said that day.
As a true freshman, Alford appeared in four games during the 2020 season. That December, he elected to transfer.
“It was great, my time there. I had to move on, better things for my future and things of that nature,” Alford reflected.
Alford spent the next two years at USC and then moved to Arizona State. Due to injuries that cost him the 2022 season and an NCAA rule that forced him to sit out the 2023 season because of his second transfer, Alford did not play football for two years.
But this season, he has made an immediate impact for the Sun Devils. A 13-time starter, Alford’s 82 tackles rank behind fellow safety Myles Rowser’s 93 stops on the Arizona State roster. Alford earned a first-team nod on the Big 12’s all-conference team this season, and he has also recorded two interceptions and four pass breakups.
“When he set foot on this campus, he was on a mission, and I think a lot of it had to do with his time at Texas and at USC,” Arizona State defensive coordinator Brian Ward said. “He felt like, hey, this was his last opportunity to really get this done and to make ASU the place that he was going to be the very best he could be, and that’s really all he is.”
Any hard feelings between Alford, Texas?
While speaking with media members over Zoom, Alford didn’t appear to harbor any ill will towards his former team. Four members of a 2020 recruiting class that also included Dorbah and Omeire are still on the Texas roster, and Alford remains close with Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron. Alford added that he is also friends with UT defensive back Jaylon Guilbeau, who joined the Longhorns after Alford left.
“That’s my brother,” Barron said of Alford. “Throughout the whole season we chat literally every week, except this week. But, nah, we’re always chatting. I’m always reaching out to him; he’s always reaching out to me and things like that. Just motivation to keep us going.
“He’s been through so much. I’ve been through so much. We started here together as a brother, and that’s always going to be my brother. I’m just proud of him and how far he’s came. He’s dealt with a lot of issues, just injuries and having to sit out. So I’m just proud that he has an opportunity to showcase the gift that God gave him. So it’s always good to see that out of him.”
Had Arizona State earned a quarterfinal matchup with Oregon, Georgia or any of the other teams still alive in the College Football Playoff, Alford would have heard from plenty of family and friends back home. But Arizona State drew Texas, his former team and the flagship university of the state he grew up in. For his part, Alford isn’t trying to view the Peach Bowl as the site of a reunion.
“I just view it as another game. I went there, signed there, it is what it is. I knew there was a possibility we could play each other in CFP, and obviously here we are a couple days out,” Alford said. “Not really focused on the outside factors, just focus on what I can control, focus on doing my job each and every day and getting prepared for the game.”
Alford, Texas reunion not an anomaly during transfer portal’s new era
Will it be weird for Texas to see its former players on the Arizona State sideline? Texas coach Steve Sarkisian doesn’t think so. It’s just a sign of the times and the transfer portal, UT’s fourth-year coach argued this week.
Besides, Texas has an ex-Arizona State player on its roster. Defensive lineman Jermayne Lole played at Arizona State from 2018-21. Lole transferred to Louisville for the 2023 season, and he has accumulated 20 tackles and three quarterback hurries during his lone year on the Texas defensive line.
“I think this is college football in 2024 and moving forward. It’s almost got a little bit of an NFL feel that way,” Sarkisian said. “I do think that’s the era of college football where we’re at right now. It’s 2024, the portal is alive and well, and 2025 is going to roll around and there will be more faces moving around.”
Most of Arizona State’s ex-Longhorns have contributed to the Sun Devils’ run to an 11-1 record and a Big 12 championship. Alford, Dorbah, Omeire, Smith and Swanson have all appeared in at least 10 games this season. Former Texas defensive lineman J’Mond Tapp was also on Arizona State’s roster this season, but he announced this month that he is entering the transfer portal after not receiving any playing time in 2024.
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsroom.
Austin, TX
Everything you need to know about Austin run clubs
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Data analyst Corey Yeung created the ATX Running Guide to help runners find community across Central Texas. What started as a personal project has become one of Austin’s most comprehensive running resources.
Looking for a Run Club? There’s a Map for That
When Corey Yeung moved to Austin three years ago, he had a simple question:
“How many run clubs are actually out there?” The answer wasn’t easy to find. While several websites listed local groups, Yeung felt none offered a complete picture. So, he decided to build one himself. What started as a spreadsheet evolved into ATX Running Guide, a website and social media platform that helps runners discover clubs throughout the Austin area.
“The list would be more useful if it were a map and search tool,” Yeung said. “The Instagram page was simply a way to communicate those free resources to the community.”
Today, the guide covers running groups from San Marcos to Hutto and serves as a one-stop resource for runners looking to connect. In this episode of KXAN’S Plus Simple Health, Corey Yeung walks us through everything you need to know about the 200-plus running clubs in Austin.
Austin, TX
Texas Volts begin first home slate Thursday at Dell Diamond
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Volts are off to a rough start in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, but maybe a little home cooking can help them get right.
After playing their first five games on the road, the Volts open play at Dell Diamond in Round Rock at 6 p.m. Thursday against the Utah Talons, kicking off an 8-game homestand.
It’s the first season the Volts will call Dell Diamond home. In the league’s inaugural season last year, the original four teams competed with a touring schedule that included a stop at Dell Diamond. This is the first year that the AUSL, now a 6-team league, will play in home markets.
They have a roster peppered with local stars, including 2-time NCAA national champion middle infielder Leighann Goode from the Texas Longhorns. Aliyah Binford, a New Braunfels native, played collegiately for Ole Miss and former Texas State pitcher Jessica Mullins made an appearance in the Volts’ previous series against the Carolina Blaze.
Goode said there’s been a bit of a learning curve, but she credits her teammates for helping her adjust to the league.
“This group has brought me in and taught me stuff, taken me under their wings,” she said. “They’ve done an awesome job.”
Legendary Texas pitcher Cat Osterman is the team’s general manager, and the head coach is Texas State’s Ricci Woodard.
“We’re ready to rock and roll at home,” Woodard said. “I’m anxious to see what happens now that we get to play in our own place.”
Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 draft, joined the team last weekend after a brief contract holdout.
The Volts are 1-4 this season, picking up their lone win over the Oklahoma City Spark on June 10. They’ll face the Talons in a 3-game series, the Chicago Bandits for a pair June 23-24, and finish the homestand with a 3-game set against the expansion Portland Cascade on June 26-28.
Ryan Sanders Baseball, the organization that owns and operates the Round Rock Express, is an operating partner with the Volts and an investor with the AUSL.
Austin, TX
Investigators seek clues in small jet crash that killed 1 in Texas, where bystanders rushed to help
(AP) – Investigators combed through wreckage Wednesday for clues to why a business jet crashed on a Texas highway, killing one person on board after its pilots reported mechanical problems while requesting an emergency landing at a nearby airport.
The fiery crash late Tuesday in Laredo near the Mexican border sent bystanders racing from their cars to help police rescue passengers and crew from the burning aircraft. The crash killed Joshua Baer, a leader in Texas’ technology and startup sectors, the president of Baer’s company told the Austin American-Statesman.
Video from the frantic scene showed someone trying to smash the cockpit glass with a sledgehammer, while others used makeshift levers as they worked to open the plane’s door. Local officials said a firefighter entered the smoke-filled jet to extract one person still inside after the rest had escaped.
“While the loss of life is deeply regrettable, it is nothing short of a miracle that this tragedy did not become a mass fatality event,” Laredo Mayor Victor Treviño told a news conference Wednesday.
The cause of the crash was not immediately known. The Federal Aviation Administration was investigating along with the National Transportation Board.
Laredo Police Chief Miguel Rodriguez Jr. said investigators working to reconstruct the crash were at the crash site Wednesday.
Crash victim worked to help entrepreneurs launch startups
Baer was the founder and chief executive of Austin-based Capital Factory, which helps entrepreneurs connect with investors and others to launch their businesses.
“Joshua was a fearless leader, a brilliant partner, and a dear friend to so many of us,” Capital Factory President Bryan Chambers told the Austin newspaper.
Capital Factory executives did not immediately return phone messages Wednesday from The Associated Press.
Baer lived in Austin with his wife and three children, according to his LinkedIn page. He recently taught a student entrepreneur class at the University of Texas at Austin.
“I help people quit their jobs and become entrepreneurs,” Baer said on his LinkedIn page.
In a social media post, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas called Baer “one of the most significant figures driving innovation and entrepreneurship across America.”
Police did not release the name of the person killed, citing a request from family members. Rodriguez said those on the plane included two pilots and three teenagers.
Pilots reported low fuel, electrical issues, airport director says
The Cessna Citation Latitude twin jet departed Tuesday evening from the Mexican resort city of San José del Cabo and was bound for Austin, Texas, the FAA said in a statement.
The plane was operated by NetJets, a company owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway that lets people buy part ownership in private jets. NetJets said in a statement it was cooperating with authorities.
The jet went down at about 10 p.m. Tuesday on the Loop 20 highway, just a few minutes after its pilots radioed the local airport seeking to make an emergency landing. Their call to air traffic controllers “mentioned low fuel and a power outage,” Laredo International Airport Director Gilberto Sanchez said.
“They had mechanical issues and they lost communication with the tower,” Sanchez said Wednesday, “and that’s when the accident happened.”
Dashcam video posted on social media showed the aircraft careening down the highway and knocking down a light post before coming to a stop near the airport. The jet also barreled into a car, sending one motorist to a hospital in stable condition, said Laredo police investigator Jose Baeza.
Video posted to social media showed the plane on its side, smashed into a highway barrier with the tail ripped from the fuselage.
“It looked like part of a movie. I was in shock,” said Zayra Garza, an esthetician who was driving her co-workers home when she came upon the crash.
Garza, who shot video of the scene as her husband ran to help, saw motorists leave their cars to try to help smash the cockpit glass. She said the plane’s door opened and three people who looked like teenagers rushed out, followed by someone who appeared to be a pilot. Another crew member tried to pull out a person who seemed to be unconscious.
Smoke billowed from the plane as a firefighter climbed into the aircraft to rescue the remaining passenger. Police officers helping prop open the door had to back away as they doubled over coughing because of the intense smoke. Police said five officers were treated at a hospital for smoke inhalation.
“What was worrying me was the fire,” Garza said. “I was concerned that it could have just exploded at any time.”
This was the third significant aviation accident in as many days. A B-52 crashed Monday during a test flight at Edwards Air Force Base in California and killed all eight people aboard, while on Sunday, 12 people were killed when a plane on a skydiving outing in Missouri crashed.
___
Golden reported from Seattle; Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut; and Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia. AP journalists Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
-
New Jersey4 minutes agoIs ICE giving up on Roxbury detention center? NJ leaders laud report
-
New Mexico7 minutes agoNew Mexico leaders push funding to fight screwworm after 1 local case
-
North Carolina12 minutes ago
Rare whale shark sighting off North Carolina coast
-
North Dakota19 minutes ago
NDSU, Dickinson State partner to expand nursing education
-
Ohio22 minutes ago
Court orders Ohio restrictions on kids’ use of social media restored
-
Oklahoma27 minutes agoOklahoma Adds OF Adi Hansen From Southern Idaho
-
Oregon34 minutes agoOregon man sentenced to 77 months in prison after pleading guilty to attempted kidnapping
-
Pennsylvania37 minutes agoPennsylvania lawmakers push for data center regulations as development accelerates