4-star athlete Lakeyleon Graves commits to Texas State

Texas State added a gargantuan commitment to its 2026 recruiting class on Friday as Kilgore (Texas) four-star athlete Lakeyleon Graves announced his pledge to the Bobcats.

Despite holding offers from Missouri, Wake Forest, Houston, Tulane and others, the two-way standout is ready to head to San Marcos at the next level in a massive win for head coach G.J. Kinne and Co. He is the first four-star recruit to commit to Texas State.

Graves is the No. 394 overall prospect and No. 16 athlete in the 2026 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 49 player in Texas.

“First and foremost I would like to thank all my family and friends that supported me through this journey and all of the coaches that have recruited me it’s truly been a blessing,” Graves wrote on X announcing his decision. “With that being said I would like to say that I have committed to (Texas State).”

The 6-foot, 180-pounder looks to be locking with Texas State as a wide receiver, though he also slots in as an outside linebacker at the high school level. He now easily headlines the Bobcats’ 2026 class and is one of just a few blue-chip recruits that have committed to a Group of Five program this cycle.

As a junior for Kilgore, Graves caught 48 passes for 987 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also notched a whopping 136 total tackles, three sacks and three interceptions. Kilgore went 13-3 last season, losing to Celina in the Texas 4A Division I state title game. The Bulldogs are off to a 1-1 start this season and currently rank as the No. 38 team in the Lone Star State, per the Massey Ratings.

Texas State is now 2-0 this season after going to the Alamodome and defeating UTSA in the latest edition of the I-35 Rivalry. The Bobcats have a major opportunity on Saturday night as they head to Tempe to take on Arizona State.

The Bobcats’ recruiting class now features 17 commits and ranks No. 85 nationally, per the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. That’s good for No. 4 in the Sun Belt. Graves is the second commitment of the month for Texas State, following Sand Springs (Okla.) Charles Page three-star quarterback Easton Webb. The 6-foot-4, 205-pounder ranks as Rivals’ No. 40 signal-caller in the nation.