SAN ANTONIO — The last time we saw former Smithson Valley quarterback Josh Adkins, he was signing an NCAA letter of intent with New Mexico State as a senior in February 2017.
More than three years later, Adkins is gearing up for a new challenge as a graduate transfer bound for UTSA.
After starting at NMSU the past two seasons, Adkins committed to the Roadrunners on Friday and will enroll at UTSA in the fall. A finance major, Adkins plans to move back to San Antonio next month and graduate from NMSU in the summer after he completes two online classes.
Adkins, who strongly considered signing with UTSA as a high school senior before coach Larry Coker was fired in January 2016, will be eligible to play immediately. Redshirted as a freshman in 2017, Adkins still has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
"I'm excited," Adkins said Monday night. "I'm looking forward to competing for the starting job and being back home again. I really enjoyed being part of the program at New Mexico State. I had a great time and met a lot of good people, but I just felt it was time for me to go in a different direction."
Under NCAA rules, student-athletes who graduate before they complete their college eligibility are not required to sit out a year after transferring.
NCAA rules prohibit coaches from commenting on prospects until they sign a letter of intent.
Adkins completed 497 of 800 passes, with 24 interceptions, for 5,151 yards and 27 touchdowns during his two seasons with the Aggies.
Adkins said he spoke with "multiple FBS schools and also FCS schools" last month before the country was turned on its head and sports at all levels shut down.
"The coronavirus kind of had a hand in all this," Adkins said. "I think it kind of hurt as far as getting my name out there because some schools didn't have a chance to evaluate their quarterbacks this spring.
"And with the quarterback position, they only take one, maybe, a year. If they don't have a chance to look at what they need, then they probably won't make a move."
While none of Adkins' conversations with other schools "materialized into an offer," he came to see UTSA as the practical, logical spot to continue his career.
"UTSA just checked all the boxes and it's close to home," Adkins said. "I had an opportunity to come in and compete for the job, and that's the main thing that I wanted coming out of this because I do only have two years left."
Although he'll be a newcomer at UTSA, Adkins will be in the same situation as every quarterback on the roster when the Roadrunners start preseason workouts under new coach Jeff Traylor in August. Since UTSA had to cancel spring training, no quarterback has taken a snap in practice.
With UTSA shut down, the Roadrunners have turned to their laptops to learn Traylor's system through online film study and video conferencing. Adkins said he hopes the NCAA will allow him to do the same this summer.
"I'm hoping I'll be able to start working out with the team in June," Adkins said.
Adkins said he's looking forward to competing for a conference championship after playing at a school that's a Football Bowl Subdivision independent. UTSA plays in Conference USA.
"It definitely was a big part of my decision," Adkins said. "I'd be lying if I didn't say that. Going into New Mexico State, I was hoping by now we'd be back in a conference.
"Having the opportunity to go play somewhere where they are in a conference, and having the opportunity to compete for a conference championship was big for me. That comes with a lot of exposure and accolades, things like that."
Smithson Valley coach Larry Hill helped lay the groundwork for Adkins' transfer to UTSA, speaking to Traylor on his behalf.
"He was huge for me," Adkins said of Hill. "I could go on forever talking about Coach Hill. He's meant so much to me. One thing that I would say about Coach Hill is that he's the same guy every single day. He's consistent and every single day, you know what you're going to get from Coach Hill.
"He demands that of his players. I saw firsthand how to be a leader. I saw firsthand how to handle teammates, how to handle different situations."
Adkins started at quarterback for three seasons at Smithson Valley, where Hill became synonymous with the Spring Branch school years ago. The Rangers have gone 258-79 and reached the state finals three times in 28 seasons under Hill.
"It's such an incredible blessing to have been a part of the Smithson Valley program, let alone be the quarterback for three years," Adkins said. "The lessons and the values, everything that I learned from that program, I'll never be able to put a price tag on it."
Hill said that one of Adkins' best attributes is his leadership.
"He has that rare quality that he just garners respect with how he carries himself, how he competes," Hill said. "He never feels like he's entitled to anything. Even as talented as he is, no one can outwork him, no one can out-lead him, no one can integrate with the team like he does.
"I told Coach Traylor, 'You just got another leader in your locker room. I don't know anything about your situation, but you've got a guy that's going to help you in the locker room. You've got a guy who is going to help you off the field. You've got a guy who has the unique quality of making others better.'
"Some of that is God given," Hill said. "Some of that is developed. He may be a better person that he is a player, and obviously he's a really good player."
One of the players Adkins will compete against at UTSA is former Clemens quarterback Frank Harris, a junior whose college career has been plagued by injuries. Harris started the Roadrunners' first four games last year before a shoulder injury sidelined him for the rest of the season.
Adkins and Harris played in the same UIL district in high school and have stayed close through the years.
"We're good friends," Adkins said. "When I entered the transfer portal, he was the first call I got. When I got my offer from UTSA, he was the first guy I called. We're close. We have mutual respect for each other that goes beyond football. We talk all the time.
"It's kind of an awkward situation now that we're going to be competing against one another, but we've handled it the right way. We're going to continue to do that because iron sharpens iron. When you're around quality people, that just raises your level of play."
Junior Lowell Narcisse and sophomore Jordan Weeks also will compete for the starting quarterback job. Narcisse started seven consecutive games after Harris went down and Weeks started the season finale.
UTSA, which finished 4-8 overall and 3-5 in C-USA play last year, opens the 2020 season against defending national champion LSU on Sept. 5.
