Spring report, part II

Posted on March 14, 2008
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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/

Spring-ahhh the time for renewal and the time for change!

Posted on March 13, 2008
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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/

 

Odds and ends on the class of 2008

Posted on February 26, 2008
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we all know by now the accolades many of the class of 2008 received on the field, but here are a few tidbits you may not have known: 

The coaches added Justin Moreaux, WR out of Lake Charles to the class of 2008.  Justin led the State of Louisiana in receiving yards in 2007-the first year he played high school football.

Sam Schutt, the wide receiver from Tennessee is the son of Savanah pharmicist and mayor, Bob Schutt.  The elder Shutt also challenged the long-time Tennessee Lt Governor John Wilders for that position in year 2000.

Sam is also the cousin of Corey Robinson of Paducah, KY who set national record by throwing 91 TDs passes this year.

Yogi Gallegos is nicknamed after Yogi Berra and has a brother nicknamed “Pudge”.   Gallegos won a State title as a starting QB his sophmore year at Arlington Grace Prep.

Blaize Foltz became the first player to sign with a Div 1 team out of high school.   Previously Rose Hill High was noted primarily for being the first school to give all incoming students a laptop.

Marques Parker was raised by his uncle Yano Jones who is a former arena football player and all-time Iowa Blackhawk receiver.  Jones also trained Nebraska running back Collins Okafor at his Red Zone Academy.

Ross Evans, a kicker from Burnet is nicknamed “The Leg”.  We gotta get him a better one…

The class of 2008:

 

TCU Junior Days hold promise for coaches & players

Posted on February 19, 2008
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Saturday the 23rd day of February the TCU staff will hold its initial Junior Days for recruits being considered as part of the signing class of 2009.  Players will be in Fort Worth hoping to make an impression on the staff and the staff in turn is hoping they also show well for the recruits.  With around 20 slots available for this coming class, the openings are not quite as tight as they were in the previuos class, but still plenty of needs to be filled and again not a full slate available.  As mentioned previously the staff has been aggressive in making offers and hopefully this weekend they will get the first official commits for the coming class.

Some names to watch for this weekend:

Ty Horn OL from Waco Midland.  Ty has great feet and good size and is considered one of the top prospects in the CenTex region. Getting a commit from Ty would be a great start to this class.

Shavodrick Beaver QB Wichita Falls Rider.  Frog fans are quickly learning this name and the skilled QB would bring a new level of energy and overall athleticism to the Horned Frogs.

Knile Davis RB Fort Bend Marshall.  Teammate last season with Jeremy Coleman and one of the primary targets at RB early for the Frogs despite being injured for much of last season.

Current offer list:

The complete list:

http://www.killerfrogs.com/blog/recruiting-pages/2009-recruit-list/

Early offers show a shift in strategy

Posted on February 15, 2008
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2008 recruiting is barelyy over and already 2009 has hit full-tilt.  TCU coaches are definitely taking a more aggressive approach to recruiting by making more offers early and to some very highly regarded recruits.  A concern of many Frog fans has been the limited numbers of recruits at the quarterback & running back positions and that is something that is being addressed early.

The class of 2009 in Texas has an abundance of talent in the skill position and the depth of very good quarterbacks rivals the best in years and TCU going after some of the better ones in the class with at least very positive feedback from the players.  Offers out to Casey Pachall out of Brownwood and Tyrick Rollison from Sulphur Springs shows the coaches are not afraid to mix it up with the bigger schools.  Pachall at least has declined an offer to attend UT junior days in favor of TCU.  Other QBs such as Witchita Falls Rider’s Shavodrick Beaver, San Angelo’s John David Baker, Midlothian’s Bryce Petty and Glen Rose’s Derek Thompson have all expressed a sincere interest in TCU as have many others.

As far as running backs, TCU chasing two of the best in Ft Bend’s Knile Davis and Navasota’s Dexter Pratt.  Both of these players are at programs that have good connections to TCU and here is to hoping that will pay-off soon.  Other noted RBs looking at TCU include Joe Benefield of Elysian Fields, Josh Dorsey from Waller and Tyler Tabor of Crockett. 

This is a new strategy for the coaches at TCU and appears to be a very positive step.  The quarterback’s are receptive to the both the lack of depth at that position current for the Horned Frogs as well as the continued movement of the offense to a more aggressive passing attack combined with a strong running game.

Offers:

The complete lis of 2009 recruits so far is found at:

http://www.killerfrogs.com/blog/recruiting-pages/2009-recruit-list/

 

Its a wrap, well almost….

Posted on February 6, 2008
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The class of 2008 is in, we think.

Signing day came and went with little fanfare for frog fans.  Blaize Foltz fills in the final missing piece, but we kinda knew that one was going to happen.

So what did TCU get from this group and what were the misses?  Obviously we will not really know the answers to those questions for years to come, but heck I gotta write something about this class…

Hits:

QB-we needed one and we got a good one.  Chase (Yogi) Gallegos fills the position that there seemed to be a lot of misses at lately.  TCU certainly has several good QBs on the roster, but depth was getting to be worrisome, especially with the transfer out of Zachary Eskridge.

Big & fast-The individual stars of the class are DE/DT Jeremy Coleman, OL, Trevius Jones and TEs Walker Dille and Corey Fuller.  All big and with speed.

Athletes-again an extremely athletic group.  Gallegos is probably the most athletic QB signed at TCU since Patrick Batteaux, as mentioned the big men are big and fast and Coleman has some ups to his game, Sam Shutt is extremely quick, Greg Burks is projected at LB but was an all-district RB/WR, Marques Parker is an all-american JUCO that practically played everywhere except on the lines, and Bud Patterson averged over 40 per KO return and over 40 per catch as a WR and will play CB.  Obviously we can go on but take it from me, these are some great athletes.

Frog factor-probably above all else, this is a hard working group of athletes who want to play for TCU.  Speed, athleticism, size for the position, etc all play into getting an offer to most schools, but a desire to work and improve makes you a Horned Frog.  Zack Roth came out of HS under-weight and a lot slower than he is now, Walker Dille and Blaize Foltz both worked hard this past season not only adding weight, but working with velocity training, agility, etc., Shutt as we speak is working with a former NFL receiver learning the TCU play book and improving his skills, Gallegos decided to concentrate on football after his commit so that he would come to TCU in the best condition possible, Coleman since committing has added weight to his frame and stressed maintining his speed in preparation for the summer.  All of these kids are working hard today to be better athletes at TCU.

Who plays out of the box?

Of this group who has the best chance of seeing action next season.  Certainly the JUCOs, Roth & Parker, but of the freshmen there are several who have a great chance of hitting the playing field early.  Jeremy Coleman normally would be my best bet, but simply because of the depth on the DL this coming season and the losses expected for 2009 I assume he will get a red shirt, the same for Tevius Jones though he may be good enough to play next season.

Bud Patterson-simply a playmaker, especially on special teams.  Bud will get lots of looks the summer and look for him to the ball in his hands early as well as add depth to the DBs.

Mr Scott-already hits as hard as most of the safeties (Hodge excluded) Chris will sneak in a show some of his skills early.

Ross Evans-OK, with the loss of Manfredini this looks to be an easy pick, but several really good walk-ons ahead of him and Ross will definitely need to work hard to play early, but I think he will get there.

Edward Wesley-if Wesley qualifies and works hard over the summer, he may end up number 2 or 3 on the depth chart depending upon how well Aaron Brown and Joseph Turner recover.  Caveness will get the nod over him, but the push will be on.

The misses:

Always a sore subject to bring up, but you have to look at this objectively, even Notre Dame fans feel the had some misses this year.

RBs-Depth at RB was a huge reason for the problems on the offense in 2007, yet coaches only signed one.  Not only did they only sign one, they told kids such as Devin Thomas and Lester Ward they were full at the position?  OK, I am shaking my head and thinking, what the ever loving holy smuck stinking fart stench were they thinking!  They must have a plan and the plan may be that someone will transfer in that they feel a little more certainty about than I do.  So lets wait and see.

QBs-RBs and QBs, you can never have too many good ones, or so we thought.  Guess we were wrong.

DL-one more big guy would have been nice.

So, this wraps up 2008 at least for a few weeks.  Coaches say more is coming and while we know who isn’t coming lets hope that who is will fill some of these gaps.

Overall just a solid, hard-working TCU kind of class and really proud of this group and the efforts by this staff.  We can complain about the misses and gaps, but few can complain about the efforts being put forth to promote the program by this staff.  Lets hope the rest of the AD catches up to them soon.

The class of 2008:

 

 

Final week for class of 2008

Posted on January 28, 2008
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What a difference a week makes.  Lots of changes in the recruiting of the class of 2008 for TCU recently, including committments.  TCU gets James Fry, a hard working center out of the football factory of Smithson Valley (Probably not a better place to send your kid to high school in the state).  We do lose out on Devin Thomas who picks Miss and big Tony Gillespie who looked like a TCU lock just last week but went to KanSt.

Other recruiting news heading into the final week:

Coaches hitting hard on LaMichael James still and despite his Ore commit he appears to be open to visits and discussion.  Here is hoping they get him to see the light this week.

Staff has been all over Louisiana last few weeks and will get visits from Damaris Johnson and Alonzo Landry this week.  Johnson visited Memphis last week and said it was okay, so TCU probably moves up the list on him.  Landry is a stud but really has to push to get qualified. 

Lubbock Estacado playmaker Jeremy Watson will visit the final weekend, but coaches will have a tough sell on him.

It appears coaches plan on over-signing in this class by taking a few kids who may not qualify.

Good luck to the staff this final week and looking forward to seeing how this year’s group will finally shake out!

Commits:

Offers:

Two years of hard work completed and two very hard weeks yet to go:

Posted on January 21, 2008
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The recruiting of the class of 2008 is coming to a conclusion:

What we do know is eleven of the eighteen are firmly committed and a good idea of the options on the rest.  However, coaches from all over the country are in Texas recruiting hard and things can change drastically over these final two weeks.  But we are all like kids the night before Christmas and we want to know what presents we got, so here goes my best effort to date.  So settle down to a nice comfortable spot, get the fire going, grab a glass of warm milk (and don’t ask what is in my glass) and let Feisty tell you a story to help you sleep better at night (and reading this may just have you out like a light in no time)!

Some wishes come true!

Yes, we asked for QBs and RBs and big time receivers, pass rushers and blockers and long range kickers. 

QBs, RBs and big time receivers- this class had to have a QB and coaches got a good one in Yogi Gallegos.  Kid is smart, fast and has a strong arm.  He took Arlington Prep to a State Championship as a sophmore and then transferred his junior year to Irving High which had not seen a passing QB since the 70s.  It was a tough process, but the growth in the team and in Yogi was tremendous the last few years.

For RB they started with Edward Wesley, also from Irving (but MacArthur) who has shown rapid improvement in his game this past season.  Wesley has great speed and quickness and has improved his vision and learned to run in small spaces.

The receivers so far are the highlight of the group.  JUCO All-American Marques Parker is a smart, versatille player with talent.  He was the leader on the conferences best offense, played RB, QB, WR, DB and TE and should be able to step into his role quickly.  The 3 youngsters are the ones that will get Frog fans excited for years to come.  TE Walker Dille has size, speed and hands, Corey Fuller at 6-5 and 215 pounds with 4.5 speed will help add another dimension to the offense and speedster Sam Shutt from Tennessee will  excite the crowds.  All three of these kids can handle the ball in traffic and also make the difficult catches.  Look for this group to push the coaches in creativity and game planning.

Pass rushers, blockers and long range kickers: Jeremy Coleman is in a class by himself in this group.  Not only a dedicated, hard-working athlete, Coleman presents multiple options for the coaches either inside or on the corner of the defensive line.  Currently 6-3 and over 250 pounds of muscle, Coleman has the speed, strength and leaping ability to come at you from anywhere, including linebacker. 

On the offensive line Trevius Jones and JUCO Zack Roth continue the trend of going big on the line.  Both are 6-5 and around 300 pounds and very mobile.

Ross Evans is the long range kicker and he finished his high school careeer as the number 2 all-time kicker in Texas and in the nation.

To round out the class so far is linebacker Greg Burks.  Burks is a pure athlete and if coaches wanted they could move him to safety, wide receiver or running back and he would do well at any of those positions.  Burks will surely continue the recent tradition of strong linebackers at TCU.

So what is still under the tree (have to stay with the Christmas theme):

Eleven down and seven to go.  Having limited spots and trying to work out how these spots will be filled has been a struggle, especially with so many athletes wanting to come to TCU.  Of those committed coaches also do not necessarily have their final positions down which means the needs evalutions may be off.  Fuller has the talent and ability to move to TE or DE, Shutt and Wesley may move to the defensive backfield and as mentioned Parker & Burks can play numerous positions.  However, here is the final breakdown as I see it:

1 QB-look for one more in Riko Smalls of Plano East.  Smalls is the prototype TCU QB with a little more size at 6-2, 200.  He has 4.4 speed and is a great leader on the field.  Quiet but confident and if not for past injuries he would be very highly recruited.

2 RB- The running back situation is trickier, but probably the most talent laden.  Visiting soon will be Devin Thomas of San Antonio Madison and Lester Ward of Brenham.  Both are highly rated and very interested in TCU.  Coaches are confident they will get two solid backs and possible fallbacks include Marcus Jackson of Round Rock and Michael Connor from Frenship.  Thomas is the #21 RB in the country despite a severe ankle injury and #42 rated recruit in Texas per Rivals.

1 OL- One more offensive lineman had been expected in Jason Free from Louisiana, but that now appears to be a very slim chance.  Coaches may elect to pass on another or try for someone such as Brayden Burris or James Fry from Spring Branch.  Both are a little under-sized, but aggressive and hard workers.

1 DL- So far no big interior DL in this class (Coleman has the potential to move inside though).  The options are limited here and Tony Gillespie from Jenks appears to be the primary target.  Coaches out shaking the bushes hard on this one and if any position has a possible surprise I expect it to be this one.  Hector Negrete is another name at this position, but as mentioned coaches exploring all options.

1 S-This appears to be filled by hard-hitting Chris Scott from Baton Rouge, LA.  If Chris decides to stick with Baylor the spot will be given to Mike Littleton of Galveston.

1 ATh-the final spot and one with many options.  Also, coaches may elect to go with 2 here and skip the 3rd OL.  The leading candidates appear to be Bryce Beall from Tatum (S/LB/RB), Johnny Thomas (RB/DB) from Texas City or Jeff McVaney (QB/FB/LB) from Houston.  Both Beall & McVaney are very intriguing and my guess is they will opt for someone who can possibly fill the LB spot.

For stats, videos, etc on many of these recruits go to:

http://www.killerfrogs.com/blog/recruiting-pages/2008-recruit-list/

With 6 commits this class already taking shape

Posted on November 30, 2007
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Six commits doesn’t look like every much but with a clas size of around 18 and with the offers on the board a lot has become much clearer about the intentions of the TCU staff with this group.

The commits so far:

Commits:

So how do the 12 slots left look to shake out.  First it has become apparent that they intend to load up on JUCO talent using with 4 or 5 of those slots at RB, WR, OL, DE, and CB.  The primary targets appear to be:

A few of the second options from the JUCO ranks (and possibly 1st now) are:

So that leaves about 7 spots left for incoming freshman.  It looks like those will be filled by a RB, FB, WR, LB, CB, Ath, and a K.  This may change a little depending on the commits for example if they don’t get the kicker they want they may get another WR or S.   Also they may be able to get 19 in this group and add another DT.  At the top of the list appear to be:

And some of the additional options are:

Running back

Fullback

Wide receiver

Linebacker

Cornerback

Athletes:

Lots of talent still out there and the TCU staff looks to be putting together another great class.

The mst complete list of TCU recruits anywhere:

http://www.killerfrogs.com/blog/recruiting-pages/2008-recruit-list/

Those hidden gems in 2007

Posted on November 24, 2007
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TCU staff has been well known for finding those hidden gems in the past to go along with the upper level recruits they get each year and this year expect more of the same.  With well known recruits such as Trevius Jones and Jeremy Colemam already committed as well as DaWaylon Cook who was recruited by programs such as West Virginia & Utah, the coaches really started out with a bang.

Then comes TE Walker Dille virtually out of nowhere.  Certainly Dille had an offer from Boise State which is no slouch at recruiting tight ends, but very few fans have even heard or know how to pronounce his name.  Dille entered his junior year barely over 200 pounds and 6 feet tall and though at a highly respected Sugarland Clements school, few had him on their lists.  Add 30 or so pounds and 4 inches to the frame over 1 and a half years and yet maintain a 4.6 forty and guess what happens?  TCU and others notice you!

Vincent (P.J.) McNeil JR (6-2/195/4.5) Quarterback Dallas Roosevelt.  Not really a hidden gem especially to Dallas high school fans.  McNeil originally played at Wilmer-Hutchins and this season has rushed for 1,469 yards and 18 TDs to go with 1,807 and 33 TDs passing (avg a TD on every 3rd completion).  Ran for 130 yards and 3 TDs and was 13-21 for  211 yards and 3 TDs passing in the 48-22 victory over Royce City.  Also plays on the defense and originally projected as a safety in college.

Will Clay (6-1/195/4.6) running back Snyder, TX.  Leads West Texas in total yards with 2,032 yards rushing in 255 attempts for an 8 yard per carry average.  In round two of the playoffs had 225 yards on 25 carries as Snyder topped Monihans 40-14.

Marcus Jackson (5-11/180/4.5) running back, Round Rock.  Over 3,400 yards the last two years on the ground, including 1,965 and 24TDs so far as a senior.  Though the focus of the Round Rock offense few teams have been able to slow him down.  Not a big back, but a workhorse carrying the ball over 20 times per game.  Opened up the playoffs by carrying the ball 36 times for 268 yards in the bi-district win over A&M Consolidated.  He followed that with 242 yards and 2 TDs as Round Rock beat Klein 35-13 in round two.  LT is his favorite RB and loves TCU.

http://www.hsgametime.com/austin/videopage.html?nvid=189552

Clarence (CJ) Jennings (5-10/200/4.7) fullback Everman.  A beast of a runner and has 1,485 yards on 164 carries and 18 TDs for undefeated Everman.  A leader on the team going into the playoffs and had 160 yards on 17 carries as Everman destroyed Wichita Falls in round 2 of the playoffs, 33-14.

Carl Swain 5-11/185/4.6 running back Refugio.  Has led 12-0 Refugio with 1,398 yards averaging 9.8 yards per carry even after being limited to 58 yards on 13 carries in the playoff win over Dilley due to a severe ankle sprain that kept him out of the first round.  Big fan of TCU football and Brian Bonner and wants to play free safety. 

Doug Allman (5-10/210/4.61) fullback Liberty Hill.  As a junior rushed for 1,935 yards and 33 TDs to lead Liberty Hill to the state championship.  As a senior has rushed for 1,502 yards and 26 TDs including 144 yards and 3 TDs as LH beat Carthage 41-14 in round 2 of the playoffs this year.  All state as a junior and loves TCU.

Blaine Adkins (6-0/230/4.53) linebacker Katy.  Team leader on top ranked Katy defense.  Hard hitter and has continued to improve.

Curtis Kevil (5-9/200/4.65) running back Clyde.  Led Clyde in rushing with 1,508 yards and 20 tds including a 21 carry, 98 yard effort in playoff loss to Argyle.

Yobes Walker (6-0/202/4.5) running back Brazoswood.  2,324 yards on 351 carries and 17 TDs in 2007 Yobes was one of the top ofensive weapons in the Houston area.  Had 150 yards on 237 carries in loss to Pasadena

Isaac Tauaefa (6-1/270/4.9) defensive tackle Lake Dallas.  Son of Siolo Tauaefa who is known as “The Big Somoan”, Isaac was born in Hawaii but moved to Corinth when his father became a minister in the area.  Leads the Lake Dallas defense despite an ankle injury from a chop block early in the season.  Tagged by many as the best defensive player in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.  Two-time all district and varsity all 4 years.  A solid individual on and off the field and has visited TCU.

Cody Daniels (6-0/185/4.5) cornerback/wide receiver La Grange, TX. Was all-district as a sophmore and junior, one of the top defenders in 3A.

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