Spring-ahhh the time for renewal and the time for change!
Posted on March 13, 2008
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/
Comments
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Thanks Feisty!
I would like a little better understanding of the new offense. I believe I saw a differnt offensive attack in the Houston game. If it was just glimpses, I would be intrested in learning more.
(Top asked this on FFF, but I’m curious, too)how likely are we to get Beaver with Paschall already committed?
Lloyd:
The offense will be more like a pro set with the QB reading and adjusting. It won’t be a colege spread, but more of a hybrid West Coast ofense. It will be fun to see Dalton & Jackson implement over the spring.
Hey Froggiewoggie:
As far as Beaver & Pachall together in one class, I don’t think either is bothered by it and have heard they get along well with each other. While they are similar at QB in many ways, each has some very distinct differences and both would work very well in the new system.
Also, not kidding about Mackdaddy not giving up on Pachall. Gilbert’s surgery didn’t go completely smooth and though he is expected back, Brown wants another big time QB.
If we are not going to recruit another tight end, might Jeff Olson go back out there? He seems really small to play OL, but I could certainly see him as the blocker when we use two TEs.
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