• The KillerFrogs

ESPN Blue Ribbon Preview: TCU (Free)

FeistyFrog

Sir FeistyFrog
Some snippetts but worth the entire read:

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/page/BlueRibbon-TCU/tcu-horned-frogs

ABOUT

For 16 years Texas Christian meandered through the college football wilderness the way Roman general Maximus fought to the Coliseum in the movie Gladiator. TCU competed in the highly regarded Southwest Conference for 73 years but was jettisoned to mid-major status when the league folded in 1996. The school successfully worked its way from league to league with an eye toward reaching a high-level conference once again.
In November 2010, the Horned Frogs announced they would join the Big East, a league with an automatic Bowl Championship Series bid, beginning in 2012. But in October 2011, those plans changed.
The Big 12 Conference, which plucked the cream from the Southwest Conference crop in 1996, needed a member to replace SEC-bound Texas A&M last fall. The league asked TCU to join, and the school happily accepted. College football's wayward sons found their perfect fit in their own backyard.
"Joining the Big 12 brings us back to sharing a rich tradition with a lot of schools we already had natural rivalries with," TCU Chancellor Victor Boschini, Jr. said when the school announced its plans to join the Big 12.

QUARTERBACKS

If there was any fear of a drop-off at quarterback last season, junior Casey Pachall (6-5, 226) quickly erased those doubts. Pachall replaced one of nation's top quarterbacks in Andy Dalton and few thought Pachall could equal Dalton's effectiveness. In some ways, Pachall surpassed Dalton.
RUNNING BACKS

At the end of spring practice, no other school nationally could match TCU's returning talent at running back. The Horned Frogs were the only school to boast three returning running backs with more than 700 rushing yards. But they took a hit after spring practice when they found out Ed Wesley would not return because of academic issues.

RECEIVERS

TCU returns three of its top four receivers from last season, including junior Josh Boyce (6-0, 203), who has All-American potential. In just two seasons at TCU, Boyce has 15 touchdown receptions, just three shy of the school record. Last year Boyce caught 61 passes for 998 yards and nine touchdowns. He saved his career-best for the biggest game.

OFFENSIVE LINE

TCU returns a mix of veteran leadership and inexperience up front. The Horned Frogs bring back one of the nation's best offensive linemen in senior right guard Blaize Foltz (6-4, 310). Foltz was a first-team All-Mountain West Conference lineman last year and he earned a spot on Yahoo! Sports' all-bowl team after the Poinsettia Bowl victory. Foltz is also one of the strongest players in the country, bench pressing 580 pounds and squatting 800 pounds.
Also coming back is senior center James Fry (6-3, 290), who replaced 2010 Rimington Award winner Jake Kirkpatrick.
 

FeistyFrog

Sir FeistyFrog
DEFENSIVE LINE

Junior Stansly Maponga (6-2, 265) has come a long way to reach the United States, and now he's on the short list of America's best defensive ends.
Maponga moved to the U.S. from Zimbabwe at age eight. He has been an impact player for TCU since moving into the starting lineup as a freshman and has started a team-high 25 straight games.
As a sophomore Maponga made the midseason watch list for the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation's top defensive end. Last year he was one of just four players to rank in the top 10 in forced fumbles (five) and top 25 in sacks (nine). He totaled 13.5 tackles for loss, 55 tackles and recovered two fumbles.

LINEBACKERS

There's no area of transition for TCU quite like at linebacker. The Horned Frogs lose one of their greatest players in middle linebacker Tank Carder, who was a fifth-round draft pick by the Buffalo Bills. Carder was chosen the 2011 Rose Bowl's top defender and twice earned the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Deryck Gildon was supposed to replace Carder, but he left the team because of academic issues. So getting his chance in the middle is sophomore Danny Heiss (6-2, 220), who suffered a season-ending injury in the 2011 opener against Baylor.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

TCU's secondary was hit hard, losing four of the five starters from last season. Cornerback Greg McCoy was drafted in the seventh round by the Chicago Bears. Safeties Tekerrein Cuba, a second-team All-MWC pick, and Johnny Fobbs ran out of eligibility, and Devin Johnson was dismissed from the team.
The team's only returning starter was one of its best defensive backs, however. Junior Jason Verrett (5-10, 180) finished with 58 tackles, broke up four passes and had one interception. Verrett will start at one cornerback slot.
 

FeistyFrog

Sir FeistyFrog
NEWCOMERS

TCU signed 23 recruits in February, and four enrolled for the spring semester. All have a chance to compete for playing time this fall.
With Wesley's absence, Catalon could vault into the running back rotation. Catalon (Houston Westside) was tabbed as the No. 3 running back in Texas by the Houston Chronicle after rushing for 2,269 yards and 32 touchdowns as a senior. ESPN rated him a three-star player and the No. 49 running back in the nation.
Matthews is a pro-style quarterback who passed for 6,541 yards, 62 touchdowns and only eight interceptions for McPherson (Kansas) High School. Listenbee was an all-around athlete in Arlington (Bowie) and will play receiver. Gamble played at Trinity Community College.
TCU signed four ESPN four-star players: Matthews, tight end Griffin Gilbert (6-5, 215), safety Jordan Moore (6-3, 230) and defensive end Devonte Fields (6-4, 240).
Fields (Arlington, Martin) was ranked as the nation's 12th-best defensive end and totaled 73 tackles and 13 sacks as a senior. Gilbert (Austin, Lake Travis) was chosen a prep All-American after catching 54 passes for 1,012 and 18 touchdowns as a senior.
Moore, who could find an opening in the Horned Frogs' inexperienced secondary, turned down several Big Ten, SEC and Pac-12 schools and a track scholarship at LSU to play at TCU. Moore (Lithonia, Ga., Martin Luther King) has been clocked with a 4.37-second, 40-yard dash time.
 

Frogs1983

Full Member
Gutted might be a bit damatic.Yeh we took some hits at LB particularly.
LHCGP will have his hands full this fall,no doubt.
I expect he will more than be up for the task!
 

Goo

Active Member
If Jordan Moore is really 6'3 230lbs in HS.... He could be a LB if TCU adds 10-20 lbs. Heck, wasn't LaMarcus McDonald the one who shocked us by weighing 208 at All Star game.
 

Goo

Active Member
209 lbs

http://blackandgold.com/saints/744-tcus-mcdonald-standout-lb-despite-his-low-height-weight.html
 
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