Posted on March 14, 2008
Filed Under Uncategorized | 11 Comments
We continue to look at the changes and renewals for the spring.
Part I can be found here:
http://www.killerfrogs.com/blog/2008/03/13/spring-ahhh-the-time-for-renewal-and-the-time-for-change/
The Defense:
Defensive line:
The change: Gone are two of the best defensive ends in college football the last few years: Tommy Blake & Chase Ortiz.
The renewal: Back into the fold is tackle James Vess and Wayne Daniels returns after taking an unusual red shirt sophmore year.
The depth: The competition at the defensive end will be among the more closely watched areas in the spring. Along with Daniels, Jerry Hughes, Allen Christopher and Matt Panfil have the most experience. Clarence Leatch also provides an experienced backup, but most eyes will be on the red shirt freshman, Braylon Broughton. At the interior positions, senior Cody Moore, along with Vess and sophmore Kelly Griffin will provide a solid foundation. Henry Nuitei and Cory Grant may also provide enough depth to allow the coaches to red shirt John Fonua. Freshman Jeremy Coleman may see significant playing time in the fall.
The class of 2009 (4): Perhaps the biggest area of need for 2009 is on the defensive line and the staff already has 3 commits from the kids at Maud High School: Ray Burns, Robert House and James Dunbar. Nate Bonsu will probably fill the 4th slot, but Calvin Howell may surprise some people. Quinn Anthony, William Buckwalter and Randal Dent also getting close looks.
Linebackers:
The change: Position changes as Kris Gardner and Chris Goodson move in and Luke Shivers moves out.
The renewal: Tank the Crank Carder renews his role as a fan favorite.
Depth: Linebacker depth has not been a concern for several years now and with NFL caliber players such as Robert Henson, Jason Phillips and Daryl Washington in place along with Goodson, Gardner and Carder, that has not changed. Incoming freshman Greg Burks will have multiple position coaches clamoring for his services, but expect him to land at the linebacker spot.
Class of 2009(1): Is he committed or is he not? Word leaked out that Tanner Brock had committed to the coaches, but now reports he says he is still wide open (dang moles, who can you trust these days?). Regardless, Tanner will be the primary focus for the coaches and hopefully his brother can provide more than enough influence.
Cornerbacks:
The change: Youth. Gone are the Torrey Stewarts and Drew Colemans who added senior leadership.
The renewal: Juniors Rafael Priest and Nick Sanders have been getting significant playing time since their freshman years.
Depth: Sophomore Alex Ibiloye has game experience, but the rest are unknowns. Two redshirt freshmen, Greg McCoy who was highly regarded out of high school and Jercel Fort who has split time at running back will provide the depth for the spring and the extremely athletic Bud Patterson will join the team over the summer.
Class of 2009 (2): Steven Terrell has an offer and is the primary target right now with Kenny Browder, Shane Ros, Willie Okwuonu, Owen Michael Venson and Julian Dozer also in the mix.
Safeties
The change: Losing Brian Bonner and David Roach would be a big change for any team.
The renewal: Sir DeMarco Bledsoe got in one play last season before getting hurt, but should be ready to go for the spring.
Depth: Stephen Hodge, Steven Coleman and Andy Burrell provide the senior leadership, and junior Corderra Hunter adds experience, but the battle for playing time among the youngsters will be another key to the spring. All highly regarded and all are expected to be contributors, but there may not be a better group of freshmen and sophmores than Bledsoe, Tekerrein Cuba, Johnny Fobbs, TeJay Johnson, Colin Jones, and Chez Thomas. Add the hard-hitting true freshman Chris Scott over the summer and possibly Greg Burks and this position looks very strong for years to come.
Class of 2009 (2): You have to replace Hodge and Coleman and they have offers out to Will Ford of Abilene Cooper and highly sought after Kevin Brent. TCU on Brent’s list, but would have to be considered a long shot at this time. Austin Jones and Michael Williams also being contacted.
Special teams:
The change: Gone are ALL-MWC kickers and punters in Chris Manfredini and Derek Wash.
The renewal: Deep snapper Clint Gresham and kick-off specialist Drew Combs return
Depth: Very little depth, but for the first time in quite a long while the coaches will have scholarship athletes at both punter and place-kicker. Until Ross Evans gets to the campus, the competition for field goal and extra points duty will be between Drew Combs, Kevin Sharpless and Landry Lawson. Anson Kelton will take over the punting chores and may also assist with the kicking.
Class of 2009: I do not expect TCU to sign any players specifically for special teams this year.
As always, there will probably be many changes over the course of the spring and possibly some very nice surprises in the near future, but for now this is the way i see it and thats that. It has been a pleasure!
2009 recruiting page:
http://www.killerfrogs.com/blog/recruiting-pages/2009-recruit-list/
Posted on March 13, 2008
Filed Under Uncategorized | 7 Comments
Here it is, the one you have been anxiously awaiting, the big one! Yes, here is the all encompassing answers to the most haunting questions for Frog fans this time of year and as a special bonus you also get a the first look at the class of 2009. What a deal and its all for free, but remember, you get what you pay for, so….
Yes it is Spring time and soon our beloved Horned Frogs will be back on the turf in preparation for next season. This spring will bring many changes as well as many renewals and I will try to highlight some of those for you.
What are the biggest changes for the team? Out with the Night of Champions which has been a tradition going back to the days of Fran. The weightlifting competition was a fan favorite and got big enough that it had to be moved to the colesium, however it also resulted in several injuries over the years and has been deemed an unnecesary evil, and rightfully so.
The biggest renewal for the team will be the return of the Spring Purple & White game April 12th.
So now lets turn our attention to the positions.
The Offense:
Quarterback:
The change: a new passing attack. This Spring will offer the coaches a chance to put together the final major pieces for the new Frog offense that has been a work-in-process for several seasons. You saw glimpses of the offense in several games last year, especially the bowl game, but the new read and attack passing game should excite both the players and fans.
The renewal: Andy Dalton and Marcus Jackson. Again the two will compete for playing time and though Dalton has the edge going in to the spring Jackson will most definitely make some noise.
Depth: Behind Dalton & Jackson are two walk-on redshirt freshmen in Eric Herbel & Cole Frederick. Both will get plenty of chances in the spring to take the #3 spot. Incoming freshman Yogi Gallegos will be asked to get ready quickly over the summer.
Class of 2009 (2): The lack of depth is attractive to potential recruits and already 4 star prospect Casey Pachall has committed to TCU and could be on campus next spring. Also, Mack Brown at Texas hasn’t given up yet on Pachall who also had an offer from Charlie Weis so Frog fans may be hearing lots of rumors, but right now Casey appears to be very solid in his choice. The front-runner for the other slot is the athletic Shavodrick Beaver and if the Frogs land both of these players it potentially could be the finest pair of QBs on campus since Baugh & O’Brien. Other prospects include Bryce Petty, Derek Thompson and John David Baker, each also highly recruited prospects.
Running backs:
The change: The new offense will still have plenty of emphasis on running the football, but look for more plays designed to get the backs into wider spaces and more room to operate.
The renewal: Spring brings back the poet. After a brief stint in West Texas Joseph Banyard returns with hopes of winning back the coaches and fans.
Depth: Injuries are the biggest concern in the group so the depth is questionable. Joseph Turner is out for the spring, but most feel he will be ready for the fall and Aaron Brown will be handled with kid gloves as he also recovers. Jai Caveness looked very good during practices last fall and will be a key contributor in the spring along with Justin Watts. Also Chris Smith and Joseph Banyard will add size and speed. Incoming freshman Edward Wesley will also be another one the coaches will try to get up to speed with the offense once he arrives. Jercel Fort will likely move to conerback, but will also get some chances at running back. Luke Shivers will be the backup to Chris Smith at fullback.
2009 class (2): Again, the lack of depth after this season will be attractive to recruits. The early focus has been on Montrell Choo Choo Conner and Knile Davis, but LSU appears to be in the driver seat with Conner and Davis definitely looking at other options. Waymon James is a powerfull runner with great speed and high on TCU and highly recruited players such as Rex Burkhead and Dexter Pratt also in up there for TCU. Another option may be Tyler Tabor and that is one very good option.
Wide Receivers:
The change: Bigger, stronger, faster and more of them on the field at any one time.
The renewal: Clint Renfro. Renfro decided to forgoe the indoor track season in hopes of renewing his football career. The catch anything kid with break-away speed will be one to follow this spring.
Depth: Lots of depth! Seniors Walter Bryant, William Cage and Donald Massey along with juniors Ryan Christian and Marques Parker will lead and impressive group of youngsters. Sophomore Jeremy Kerley will add more of his playmaking ability to the offense and fellow sophmores Jimmy Young and Bart Johnson have already shown they can make some big time receptions. Fans will get their first looks at Renfro and Jonathan Jones and the incoming freshmen, Justin Moreaux and Sam Shutt have already generated much excitement.
Class of 2009 (2): Massey and Bryant will need to be replaced and the coaches already have a committment from one big time playmaker in A.J. Dugat. Uzoma Nwachukwu appears to be the preferred choice to fill the other spot, but Josh Gordan and Willie Adams are also in the mix.
Tight Ends:
The change: The new offense will offer more pass catching opportunities for the tight ends and will be key to the success in 2009.
The renewal: Shae Reagan will continue to show why he is one of the best in the business.
Depth: Youngsters Evan Frosch and Logan Brock will definitely get plenty of PT. The incoming freshmen Corey Fuller and Walker Dille add a pair of great pass catching players with size and speed.
Class of 2009 (0): An early offer to Trey Graham went out, but he chose UT despite having a relative on the coaching staff at TCU. Unless he changes his mind do not expect the coaches to sign a TE in this class.
Offensive line:
The change: More pass blocking and more reliance on their feet. TCU will not use the wider splits found in some college spread offenses, but the line will see more screens, etc. that will keep them active and rotating a lot.
The renewal: TCU has developed a rep for producing NFL quality linemen and seniors Blake Schlueter, Heath Raetz, Preston Phillips and Giles Montgomery look to continue that tradition.
Depth: Junior Marshall Newhouse is the best of the bunch and a mixture of walk-ons and scholarship athletes really add tremendous depth on the OL. Tyler Marrou and Jake Kilpatrick will back up the center position, the additional tackles are Marcus Cannon, Nick Richmond, Zach Roth and Jeff Olson and the guards are Spencer Thompson, Josh Karlin, Josh Vernon, and Ryan Wyatt. Also Kyle Dooley has shown he is fully recovered and will compete for a spot on the depth chart and the incoming freshmen of Blaize Foltz, James Fry and Trevius Jones are a tremendous group.
Class of 2009 (3): Commits already from highly sought after recruits Ty Horn and John Wooldridge are a great start for this class and the offered Anthony Mackey would be a great addition. Stavion Lowe and Jermaine Roberts are amoung the others the coaches prefer.
Tomorrow I will look at the defense and special teams. For additional information of the recruiting for 2009 go to:
http://www.killerfrogs.com/blog/recruiting-pages/2009-recruit-list/
