Estevan Barragan will find out if he’s still a member of Fresno State’s football team later this month.

New head coach Kalen DeBoer will be contacting players.

Jeff Tedford, leader of the Bulldogs for the past three years, stepped down for health reasons.

“I haven’t heard anything yet,” said Barragan, who became the first student-athlete from Central Valley High School to make a NCAA Division-I football roster. “I’ll find out when I go back to school. Hopefully, I get to be on the team still. Everybody understands how hard I work. I was on my way to earning a scholarship. I’ll need to prove myself again. I’ll embrace the challenge.”

Barragan, a 2018 CVHS grad, beat the odds this past fall when he earned a spot on the 2019 team as a walk-on player.

Barragan suited up at running back on the scout team during practices.

He helped prepare Fresno State’s first-team defense for games.

“I wasn’t a preferred walk-on,” said Barragan, who’s generously listed at 5-foot-8 and 173 pounds on the Bulldogs’ roster. “I didn’t have a guaranteed spot. It was a grind being the guy nobody knows. I had to prove myself every day. I had a chip on my shoulder. Every time I had the ball, I tried to do my best. I earned a lot of respect from the players and coaches that saw me grow this last season.”

Barragan suited up for all of the Bulldogs’ home contests.

He stood on the sidelines but didn’t log any playing time.

Fresno State compiled a 4-8 overall record and tied for last in the Mountain West standings (2-6).

Barrgan enjoyed being coached by Tedford, who was also the person he impressed to earn a spot on the team.

“He took a chance on me,” Barragan said. “He could have cut me but saw something in me. I’m grateful he gave me the opportunity. It was fun. I enjoyed practicing. He was always looking to make sure I did everything right.”

Barragan took a year off from football prior to trying out for Fresno State’s team. He was a student at the college during the 2018-19 school year.

“It was hard to get to where I am,” he said. “Taking that year off was tough. I was depressed. But everything worked out. The process was the best part. It was a grind. Hopefully all my hard work doesn’t go to waste with the new coaches coming in. We’ll have a meeting soon. I just have to be patient.”

Barragan starred on Central Valley’s varsity football team for three seasons.

He was named the Western Athletics Conference’s Most Outstanding Offensive Players his senior year.

He rushed for 1,111 yards and 13 touchdowns.

He hauled in 31 passes for 503 yards and two TDS.

Barragan earned second-team all-league honors on defense.

He had 110 tackles, one interception, two pass deflections and one forced fumble at safety.

Barragan was a first-team all-league defensive selection his junior and sophomore years.

Barragan’s teams at Central Valley also experienced success.

The Hawks massed a 21-11 overall record, won one conference title and qualified for the playoffs twice from 2015-17.