TCU Horned Frogs Spring Practice Preview: 3 Storylines To Watch
The TCU Horned Frogs are looking to rebound after going 6-7 a year ago. The long journey to a recovery begins with the start of spring practice on March 4.
The TCU Horned Frogs are looking to rebound after going 6-7 a year ago. The long journey to a recovery begins with the start of spring practice on March 4.
After winning 23 combined games in 2014 and 2015, including the Peach Bowl and the Alamo Bowl, TCU spent 2016 impersonating the team that struggled to compete when it first joined the Big 12.
Without Trevone Boykin behind center, the Horned Frogs were ordinary … at best. They had one signature win, a rout of Baylor, and were particularly inept in Fort Worth. The offense sputtered, and for a second straight year Gary Patterson’s trademark defense showed disturbing cracks.
Patterson will spend every waking moment of this offseason looking to recapture the momentum he enjoyed just a couple of years ago. After climbing out of a ditch in 2013, when the team lost eight games for the first time in 16 years, TCU can ill-afford to once again lose traction this season.
TCU Horned Frogs Spring Practice Storylines
1. Come Hill Or High Water
As senior QB Kenny Hill goes, so go the Horned Frogs in 2017. That’s an unsettling reality for fans around the DFW area.
Hill was inconsistent in his first season after transferring from Texas A&M. Yes, his blockers were raw, and, yes, his receivers floundered without Josh Doctson. But it’s now up to Hill to ignite the teammates surrounding him, both with his leadership and his multidimensional skill set.
TCU needs to witness more of the quarterback who tagged Oklahoma for five touchdown passes in last October’s 52-46 loss. And it’d be nice to see glimpses of that player this spring to help prop up the confidence level of the entire program heading into summer.
2. Turpin Time
A healthy KaVontae Turpin on offense and special teams is going to feel like an offseason free agent addition for the Horned Frogs.
TCU was bound to miss Doctson, a first-round pick of the Washington Redskins. But his departure was exacerbated by nagging injuries to Turpin, who was unable to build on his breakout freshman season with the program. His production plummeted from nine touchdowns in 2015 to just two last fall.
Elevating Hill—and the offense at large—will be a collaborative effort that must include the wide receivers. A healthy Turpin is going to be a huge bonus. Still, every receiver, including Taj Johnson, John Diarse and Jaelan Austin, has to eliminate the drops for Hill to perform at his peak potential.
3. New-Look D-Line
The once-vaunted Frog defense has slipped the past two seasons. Getting back up will only be possible if the defensive line is revamped between now and the opener.
The back seven? Few worries with the returns of linebackers Ty Summers and Travin Howard, S Nick Orr and CB Ranthony Texada. The front four, though, is a different story now that DT Aaron Curry and ends Josh Carraway and James McFarland have graduated.
Fortunately, Patterson likes using a deep rotation, so ends Mat Boesen and Tipa Galeai and tackles L.J. Collier and Joseph Broadnax should be ready to handle expanded roles in 2017. Building depth in the offseason, though, will be a high priority if TCU wants to avoid breaking down late in the year.
