Twins Kody and Kyle Schexnayder meet again in the College Football Playoff

Twins Kody Schexnayder and Kyle Schexnayder have been on opposing sidelines for much of the last decade-plus.

Kody is a former punter for River Ridge (La.) John Curtis. Kyle is a former quarterback for New Orleans (La.) Holy Cross, which made for some highly competitive games on Friday nights in the storied New Orleans Catholic League.

Kody walked on at Mississippi State as a freshman, and by his senior season was a captain for the Bulldogs. Groomed by Jake Schoonover at Arkansas State, Kody followed the special teams coordinator over to Oxford three years ago.

Kyle graduated from the University of New Orleans and dived into coaching as an assistant OL coach for John Curtis for a few seasons. In 2022, he became a recruiting specialist for Mississippi State — and was eventually tabbed by Jon Sumrall to be the Director of Recruiting shortly after the coach took over at Tulane.

The Schexnayder Twins are accustomed to being on different sidelines on Fridays and Saturdays. Their teams met in September in Oxford and will face off again this Saturday — in the College Football Playoff

“Meeting on the field to play each other has always been one of the best and worst experiences I’ve ever had,” Kyle told Rivals. “Our entire life, we have been each other’s biggest fans on and off the field, but every so often, we have to cheer against each other for 60 minutes. That’s the hardest part for me.”

“The excitement level is high for sure. It’s the first time both of our schools have had an opportunity to do something so special. The excitement is high for my parents as well. They have the opportunity to watch two of their three boys make history doing what they love,” he continued. “The hardest part for me, honestly, is knowing one of us will be eliminated.”

Keeping family first

The Schexnayder Twins’ parents haven’t missed a game yet.

During their high school days, Mom and Dad divided and conquered. As the twins delved into coaching, their parents caught games in Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Austin Peay, Arkansas State, and watched the boys in their first college game working on opposing sidelines in the Egg Bowl in 2023.

Kody turned an opportunity to walk on at State into a coaching gig at Arkansas State and eventually in the SEC. Kyle never let his passion fade, balancing his undergrad at UNO with unpaid coaching jobs at John Curtis until Mississippi State and Tulane recognized his value.

“This moment is huge for both of us,” Kyle said. “To think where we came from … The struggles we went through to get to this exact place. The emotions are high for both of us. I always tend to get a little emotional when thinking about it, to be honest.”

The Schexnayder Family has been frequenting both Yulman and Vaught Hemingway stadiums the past two years and will return to Oxford for Saturday’s showdown between No. 11 Tulane and No. 6 Ole Miss with championship hopes hanging in the balance.

“It’s a surreal moment, so to share it with your brother, playing against him with your family in the stands,” Kody told Rivals.

“It’s phenomenal, and I use ‘special’ a lot — because it’s special for my family,” he continued. “For Kyle and me, to both play in a playoff game is awesome. It’s a credit to the kids for working so hard, to be able to play vs. your brother is even more special … In high school, on a Friday night, one would be in the stands and another would be elsewhere, so it’s a special feeling to see Mom and Dad before the game, to see Kyle before the game. It hasn’t changed. We hug on the 50-yard line and then get back to work.”

‘We have the opportunity to do something special’

The Green Wave is one of two Group of 5 programs that claimed playoff spots this season.

Sumrall’s first season in New Orleans set the tone for a challenging, but exhilarating path to the postseason. Kyle helped build a talented roster that knocked off two Power 4 opponents, captured an American Athletic Conference Championship and secured its first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff.

“He’s very valuable to us,” Tulane GM Cole Heard said of Schexnayder. “He’s the lead recruiter for a bunch of the kids playing for us right now. He’s the reason why a lot of kids are here. All he does is put his head down and work.”

Kyle helped flip the Green Wave’s roster, which returned only five starters and inserted 62 players into new roles.

“The journey to the playoffs has been a special one for us Uptown,” Kyle said. “It’s just special to be considered one of the best teams in the country. This is what we worked for all year. Our guys bought into our vision and worked their tails off.”

“We set this goal from the jump in January and never looked back. The playoffs for Tulane mean everything. We are New Orleans’ home team and I think more and more people are starting to see that there is more than just one big football school in the state. We have done a great job hiring coaches and recruiting players who believe in the vision set. Your whole life, you always want to be a part of something bigger than yourself, and that’s what the playoffs mean to me. We are representing the AAC and the State of Louisiana. How cool is that? One of 12 teams in the entire country. The only team from the state. Why not us?

Kody was an All-State punter who turned a walk-on opportunity into not only a scholarship — but a career.

His stints at Mississippi State, Arkansas State and Ole Miss have solidified his purpose and path.

“It’s something the state of Louisiana hasn’t seen in the 12-team playoff and something the state of Mississippi hasn’t seen either,” Kody said. “It’s really special. It’s hard to put into words what playing for a College Football Playoff means. It’s something you always dream of, so you try not to take it for granted and enjoy the moment. That’s exactly what I’m trying to do — be exactly where your feet are and give the players and coaches everything I can to help this team.”

“The people you want to surround yourself with are a direct reflection of the success you have,” he continued. “The people we have in the building at Ole Miss have poured everything into this program. You can see why we’re in the position we’re in.”

No shortage of competitive fire

In addition to his role as Tulane’s Director of Recruiting, Kyle also charts offense for the Green Wave on game days.

He’s already hinted that he’s diving into some Ole Miss special teams snaps on Pro Football Focus ahead of Saturday’s rematch in Oxford.

“There’s a lot of competitiveness between both of us,” Kody laughed. “The biggest thing, since playing against each other in high school, being on two different sidelines, we’ve always competed — in baseball, in football, but this one holds more weight. We have an opportunity at both schools to do something that’s never happened before.”

Both up-and-coming young coaches have enjoyed stellar runs with their respective programs and are focused on this playoff game.

They’re both cognizant that only one of these teams will advance to the next round and will cherish each moment pre-game, in-game, and post-game — because they are so unique to this family.

“These are the moments I think about the most,” Kyle said.

“It’s a game that holds a little more weight and more meaning … Or it might just be because we’re playing an SEC team,” he added. “It’s really fitting, to be honest. We have both put so much into football that it’s now rewarding us. I’m honestly so thankful for every opportunity I’ve had to this point. To think where I’ve come from to where I’m at now is pretty surreal.”