The Bobby Shuttleworth era of Texas A&M soccer officially begins on Wednesday as the Fightin’ Texas Aggies open the 2026 season at Rice. We’re looking ahead to the upcoming campaign with our 2026 Texas A&M Soccer Preview Series.
The calendar now reads August, and fall sports seem a mere arm's length away.
All summer, there’s been an itch for college sports to return. A want for the void known as the offseason to be filled.
Finally, on Wednesday, the Texas A&M soccer team will be the first to proclaim the return of the fall sporting event season at Texas A&M.
In case you haven’t been checked in, the Aggies went through some changes since their final match in 2025. If you’re in need of a refresher, here are five things to get you ready for the women’s soccer season to begin.
1. There’s a new sheriff in town
Aggie soccer went through their first regime change in program history this offseason when former head coach G Guerrieri announced his retirement from the program after 33 seasons.
Guerrieri closed his coaching career with 523 wins, ranking fifth all-time in NCAA Division I history and adorning the Aggies as the only SEC program to reach 500 wins. He led A&M to 18 conference titles, 28 NCAA Tournament appearances and a 2014 Women’s College Cup berth. He was the first and only A&M women’s soccer coach. Until now.
Enter: Bobby Shuttleworth.
He was hired as Guerrieri’s successor just one day after helping Florida State win a second national championship as an assistant on Brian Pensky’s staff.
Shuttleworth’s experience with the sport is all-encompassing.
He spent 14 years in the MLS as a goalkeeper, finishing 13th in all-time regular-season matches played among goalkeepers with 232. After his playing career, Shuttleworth served as an assistant coach at Bentley University (2010-2016), followed by four years with the Seminoles (2022-2025).
In those four years, FSU won two national titles, made an additional College Cup run and held a 70-7-12 overall record, including a 17-1-1 (.921) record in NCAA Tournament games in four seasons. Shuttleworth was also part of the United Soccer Coaches National Coaching Staff of the Year after leading the Seminoles to their first undefeated season in school history in 2023.
If there were any questions about new coaches emphasizing a winning culture in Aggieland, Shuttleworth will be the one to answer. His toughness and win-now mentality will certainly be an asset in a new phase of A&M women’s soccer.
2. Fourteen (14) new faces
A theme of newness is consistent within the program, as 14 new players were added to A&M’s 2026 roster.
Most notably, defender Ava Sexton, a Southlake Carroll product, was slated to be part of the fall 2027 campaign, but she reclassified to join the Aggies early and bolster the A&M back line.
“She is a top player who consistently performs at a high level and raises the standard of play around her,” Shuttleworth said in a statement when Sexton’s reclassification was announced.
Sexton played four years with the Sting Soccer Club in North Texas, serving as captain for three seasons.
Blake Hughes is another new name Aggie fans should get familiar with. A defender from Denver, Colo., Hughes played in Australia during her prep years for the Central Coast Mariners of the Ninja A-League, which is the top division of women’s soccer in Australia.
“Blake brings a relentless drive to improve, and a mindset focused on becoming great every single day,” Shuttleworth said. “Her experience playing in the A-League has helped shape her into a tough, confident defender who thrives at a high level.”
A third member of the 2026 roster to look out for is Ireland Churchill, who made waves at A&M’s spring exhibition in April against Lamar.
The forward hails from Southern California, with a track record of elite swiftness and graceful prowess. In the spring game alone, Churchill recorded three assists in 30 minutes and a goal in the second period of play. She followed that up with a goal in Wednesday’s exhibition vs. Incarnate Word.
These three players are only part of the extensive roster set to change the face of the program in 2026.
3. Consistent returners
Amid the roster turnover, consistent playmakers will ensure continuity in leadership and confidence as they set the standard for the team's mentality as a whole.
Trinity Buchanan, Leah Diaz and Taylor Jernigan will all return to Aggieland as senior members of the women’s squad.
Buchanan, the reigning team offensive MVP, was one of the top offensive contributors last season, scoring five goals and posting two assists. After transferring from UNLV, the midfielder started all 17 games in 2025 and played 1,194 minutes for A&M. Buchanan will return for a second season with the Maroon & White as one of the top voices and contributors to the team.
Diaz is another consistent offensive contributor, returning as a senior after winning the “Farmers Fight” Perseverance Award in 2025. The forward scored three goals and had a team-leading four assists last season across 13 matches with 11 starts. Diaz also transferred to Aggieland last season from Tulsa as she returns for her second season with A&M as a senior.
Jernigan returns after starting six games for the Aggies last season, scoring two goals and playing her fourth collegiate season at A&M. Above all, the forward’s familiarity with the program will be a large asset for a program undergoing extensive changes.
4. Opponent outlook
The Maroon & White tested themselves early as their second exhibition came against rival Texas in Austin on Saturday.
The schedule won’t get much easier from there, as the Aggies will face Baylor, TCU, Vanderbilt and Georgia throughout the season. Each of those teams has recently reached or made runs in the postseason, along with TCU, which lost by one goal in the NCAA Tournament semifinals to FSU last season.
Luckily for A&M, Shuttleworth has experience facing the toughest opponents in the country. The ACC is widely regarded as the most competitive conference in women’s soccer, and with the addition of several excellent runs in the postseason, Shuttleworth will be able to showcase his expertise early and often.
5. Season goal
In Guerrieri’s final season at A&M, the Aggies went 5-7-5 overall with a 2-6-2 record in SEC play. The women missed the postseason for the third time in five years.
Despite a disappointing end to the season, the Ags have mountains of positivity to look forward to, and several tools in their arsenal to work with.
This season, fans should expect to end with a better record than 2025 because this program is capable of accomplishing so much more. Be prepared and expectant of a fiery season for the Ags, setting a newfound standard for what the program can accomplish.
It projects to be an exciting season to watch, as a new era of A&M soccer begins.
Shuttleworth & Co.’s first official match is on Wednesday, Aug. 12, at Rice.
