SJA’s Torres makes dream reality, signs to UTRGV

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Three years ago, Claudio Torres made the decision to leave his hometown of Cancun, Mexico, and enroll at Brownsville St. Joseph.

The then-14-year-old did so with the intention of chasing his dream of playing American football at the highest level.

Fast forward to today and Torres’ move has paid off, with the Bloodhounds’ standout athlete turning his dream into a reality Friday after signing to continue his athletic and academic career at UTRGV next fall.

“I’m excited. This is something I’ve been dreaming of since I was a little kid,” Torres said. “It’s just total excitement for me. I’m just happy everyone was here to watch my dream come true.”

The decision to enroll at Brownsville St. Joseph wasn’t an easy one, Torres said, having to leave behind his friends, family and everything else he’d always known.

Still, the opportunity to chase his dream was one he couldn’t pass up, with his sights set on making a name for himself and earning a spot on an NCAA DI roster.

“It definitely wasn’t an easy decision,” Torres said. “I was a little 14-year-old, but this has always been my dream and I knew I had to make a change if I wanted to make it a reality. It feels really good. I think there is a lot of talent in Mexico that most people don’t know about. I’m happy to be able to represent and hopefully open the door for more Mexican players to come to the United States and play football.”

Once on campus, Torres’ impact was felt almost instantly, breaking onto the scene as one of the RGV’s top receivers during his sophomore campaign. He finished his first year with 67 catches for 989 yards and 10 touchdowns.

His junior year he became a more versatile weapon, starring on both sides of the ball for the Bloodhounds. He finished the 2023 campaign with 1,271 all-purpose yards and 14 touchdowns, along with 58 total tackles and one interception.

Torres saved his best year for last, however, earning The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star’s 2024 all-area football player of the year award after racking up 2,980 all-purpose yards and 40 touchdowns on offense, and also recording 76 total tackles, five interceptions and five forced fumbles.

“St. Joes has really done a lot for me,” Torres said. “Being here has been awesome. It has been the best thing I could have asked for. It just helped me grow not only as a player, but as a person. They helped me have that mentality to go chase my dreams.”

Torres’ final year garnered the attention of UTRGV, with coaches from the team in attendance during one of his biggest games of the year, a 332-total-yard, five-touchdown outing during a 58-20 win over Port Isabel.

Conversations with the program came later down the line, with Torres feeling the connection with the coaches and ultimately committing to the school March 4 before officially signing to the program Friday.

“I liked that it was a new program,” Torres said. “I felt like we could make history there. I also really liked the coaching staff. They’re pretty welcoming. Everything just came together and worked out.”

The Mexico native is now set to be a part of UTRGV’s inaugural football team, which kicks off its first campaign against Sul Ross State on Aug. 30 at Vackar Stadium in Edinburg.

His signing makes him the latest SJA football player to join the NCAA DI ranks, with offensive lineman Diego De La Cruz signing to UTEP earlier this year.

“I think people overlook us,” Torres said. “I feel like people think we might not be good enough because we’re from a small school, but that is not true. Me and Diego are proof of that. I think it sends a great message to everyone. I just want to tell the next generation to keep on working hard because that’s all it takes. Just never give up.”

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