247Sports’ composite rankings place Graves as the 51st-best player in Texas and the 30th-ranked ATH in the nation. He plays wide receiver and outside linebacker for Kilgore High School, recording 761 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior. Graves chose Texas State over Houston, Missouri and Wake Forest.

Texas State’s top-rated high school recruit before hiring head coach GJ Kinne in 2023 was running back Jamel James. A three-star from Cinco Ranch High School in Katy, James landed at Texas State in 2013 after decommitting from Notre Dame. But since Kinne’s hire, the Bobcats’ recruiting has taken a huge leap. Its classes from 2023 to 2025 have all ranked within the top 100 in the nation according to 247Sports’ composite rankings, having last achieved that mark in 2017. 

The Bobcats’ current best came last cycle, when they ended 89th in the nation. And while the recruiting battle doesn’t stop until the players enroll and step foot onto campus, things are looking up for now in San Marcos.