Locked on Horned Frogs Podcast: TCU failed in the first transfer portal window by not bringing in more O-line help

[TopFrog]

TCU failed in the first transfer portal window by not bringing in more O-line help.

TCU made some key additions in the transfer portal window, but they need more help on the offensive line.

TCU failed in the first transfer portal window by not bringing in more O-line help.

TCU made some key additions in the transfer portal window, but they need more help on the offensive line.

www.weareiowa.com

 

[TopFrog]

We did sign some OL in December (some good ones it appears on paper):

Jackson Jones (OL, 6-7, 300, Franklinton, La.; Pine High School)
Three-star recruit ranked as the nation's No. 97 offensive tackle and No. 39 overall player in Louisiana ... led Pine High School to its first 10-win season in school history.

Kilian Registe (OL, 6-6, 300, Keller, Texas; Keller High School)
The nation's No. 43 offensive tackle and No. 68 overall recruit in Texas ... three-star prospect ... selected to be on the final ballot for the 2024 Whataburger Super Team ... primarily played right tackle his junior year ... was also a goalkeeper in soccer.

Logan Schram (OL, 6-6, 320, Boerne, Texas; Boerne High School)
The nation's No. 29 interior offensive lineman and No. 55 prospect in Texas ... three-star recruit ... played left tackle as a junior for a Boerne team that went 10-2 and reached the Texas 4A Division I second round of the playoffs ... was also at left tackle as a sophomore as Boerne was the state runner-up ... played on varsity as a tight end his freshman season.

Witten Van Hoy (OL, 6-6, 300, Benton, La.; Benton High School)
The No. 59 offensive tackle in the nation by the 247Sports Composite ... three-star recruit and the No. 26 overall player in Louisiana by 247Sports ... selected to the U.S. Army Bowl ... the 2024 Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate Preseason Player of the Year ... competed in the shot put and discus for the Benton track and field team.

 

[TopFrog]

A 6-6, 300-pound goalie? Holy crap.

 

[An-Cap Frog]

There is another transfer window out there. Unfortunately, it will probably be filled with players that will not be on their current team's 2-deep, but you never know.

 

[MBAFrog]

We did sign some OL in December (some good ones it appears on paper):

Jackson Jones (OL, 6-7, 300, Franklinton, La.; Pine High School)
Three-star recruit ranked as the nation's No. 97 offensive tackle and No. 39 overall player in Louisiana ... led Pine High School to its first 10-win season in school history.

Kilian Registe (OL, 6-6, 300, Keller, Texas; Keller High School)
The nation's No. 43 offensive tackle and No. 68 overall recruit in Texas ... three-star prospect ... selected to be on the final ballot for the 2024 Whataburger Super Team ... primarily played right tackle his junior year ... was also a goalkeeper in soccer.

Logan Schram (OL, 6-6, 320, Boerne, Texas; Boerne High School)
The nation's No. 29 interior offensive lineman and No. 55 prospect in Texas ... three-star recruit ... played left tackle as a junior for a Boerne team that went 10-2 and reached the Texas 4A Division I second round of the playoffs ... was also at left tackle as a sophomore as Boerne was the state runner-up ... played on varsity as a tight end his freshman season.

Witten Van Hoy (OL, 6-6, 300, Benton, La.; Benton High School)
The No. 59 offensive tackle in the nation by the 247Sports Composite ... three-star recruit and the No. 26 overall player in Louisiana by 247Sports ... selected to the U.S. Army Bowl ... the 2024 Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate Preseason Player of the Year ... competed in the shot put and discus for the Benton track and field team.

These look promising. Would like to think these are the base line talent TCU brings in... obviously it all comes down to how hard they work in the off season.

 

[FroggleRock]

I think after the results of the last two seasons going portal heavy on the OL, Dykes wants to focus on development. I said this in the other thread, but once the freshman get in campus, we’ll have over 30+ O-linemen. If we can’t get a sufficient starting 5 after this season, Ricker needs to be fired.

 

[TopFrog]

These look promising. Would like to think these are the base line talent TCU brings in... obviously it all comes down to how hard they work in the off season.

And coaching aligned with playing to strengths.

 

[Limey Frog]

I think after the results of the last two seasons going portal heavy on the OL, Dykes wants to focus on development. I said this in the other thread, but once the freshman get in campus, we’ll have over 30+ O-linemen. If we can’t get a sufficient starting 5 after this season, Ricker needs to be fired.

I don't follow the recruiting all that closely, largely because at this point the likelihood that any one HS recruit will actually see the field for TCU is lower than ever, but it seems that linemen (especially offensive linemen) are going to be the area where the old recruiting model still applies. Look at the places where good coaches have engineered noteworthy quick turnarounds: Colorado and Indiana, in particular. What happened to them when they ran into better programs who were farther along in a slower build process, or could be described as fully built already? They got overwhelmed upfront and lost. The defensive fronts of Ohio State, Michigan (though IU won that one in a squeaker), and Notre Dame were like Assyrians on the walls of Samaria. Ditto BYU and Nebraska to Colorado (and, like the Assyrians, BYU might actually have considered carrying Colorado's wives and daughters into exile and forced marriage; you don't want that).

You can get WRs and safeties in the portal. You can get QBs if you pay for them or you want one that sucks to hold a clipboard. This is fine, and your program can improve under a new coach faster than used to be the case. But it's still going to take three good years of decent coaching with minimal roster attrition to have a proper offensive line. 2025 is year four of the Dykes regime. We should be better at run blocking. Should...

 

[fff91]

I ask this in all seriousness and am curious to hear from someone with expertise in offensive schemes. I dont doubt we need better offensive lineman but we have been so inept at running with Briles as OC that it makes me wonder how much is scheme related. I am an big football fan but have little to no actual knowledge about the technical aspects of the scheme. But thematically it seems the Briles offense is very lateral and doesnt apply a lot of force down field and I dont mean deep throws. I mean when I watch other RPO teams their offense seems more on the front foot. Ours seems side to side and basically screen based. yeah it gets a lot of yards but I dont know if it really gets you where you want to be. SO O-line talent is a concern but I tend to think the scheme is a big factor too. Or at least I wonder.

 

[Frog-in-law1995]

I ask this in all seriousness and am curious to hear from someone with expertise in offensive schemes. I dont doubt we need better offensive lineman but we have been so inept at running with Briles as OC that it makes me wonder how much is scheme related. I am a big football fan but have little to no actual knowledge about the technical aspects of the scheme. But thematically it seems the Briles offense is very lateral and doesnt apply a lot of force down field and I dont mean deep throws. I mean when I watch other RPO teams their offense seems more on the front foot. Ours seems side to side and basically screen based. yeah it gets a lot of yards but I dont know if it really gets you where you want to be. SO O-line talent is a concern but I tend to think the scheme is a big factor too. Or at least I wonder.

The running game issues are a problem with personnel. With good line and backs, Briles’ offense is strong in the run game.

 

[Limey Frog]

The running game issues are a problem with personnel. With good line and backs, Briles’ offense is strong in the run game.

Let's hope. My worry was that he would have Daddy Briles's same obsession with up-tempo play for it's own sake and the offense would just sink both itself and the defense whenever it didn't work as designed. I think we saw a good bit of that in year one and started similarly this year. But, as several posters have pointed out, Briles jr. ran the ball a lot at Arkansas and elsewhere, as TCU did in the second half this year when we were able. That was very promising. He's earned some benefit of the doubt.

 

[FroggleRock]

I ask this in all seriousness and am curious to hear from someone with expertise in offensive schemes. I dont doubt we need better offensive lineman but we have been so inept at running with Briles as OC that it makes me wonder how much is scheme related. I am a big football fan but have little to no actual knowledge about the technical aspects of the scheme. But thematically it seems the Briles offense is very lateral and doesnt apply a lot of force down field and I dont mean deep throws. I mean when I watch other RPO teams their offense seems more on the front foot. Ours seems side to side and basically screen based. yeah it gets a lot of yards but I dont know if it really gets you where you want to be. SO O-line talent is a concern but I tend to think the scheme is a big factor too. Or at least I wonder.

Setting expertise aside, Briles consistently had great rushing numbers while at Arkansas. So it’s definitely personnel related. Poor OL play and lack of a “thumper” at RB. Denman (Fr. RB) could be the answer to the latter. The coaching staff compared him to Kendre.

 

[Frog-in-law1995]

Let's hope. My worry was that he would have Daddy Briles's same obsession with up-tempo play for it's own sake and the offense would just sink both itself and the defense whenever it didn't work as designed. I think we saw a good bit of that in year one and started similarly this year. But, as several posters have pointed out, Briles jr. ran the ball a lot at Arkansas and elsewhere, as TCU did in the second half this year when we were able. That was very promising. He's earned some benefit of the doubt.

For those who have doubt, sure.

 

[Toad Jones]

I don't follow the recruiting all that closely, largely because at this point the likelihood that any one HS recruit will actually see the field for TCU is lower than ever, but it seems that linemen (especially offensive linemen) are going to be the area where the old recruiting model still applies. Look at the places where good coaches have engineered noteworthy quick turnarounds: Colorado and Indiana, in particular. What happened to them when they ran into better programs who were farther along in a slower build process, or could be described as fully built already? They got overwhelmed upfront and lost. The defensive fronts of Ohio State, Michigan (though IU won that one in a squeaker), and Notre Dame were like Assyrians on the walls of Samaria. Ditto BYU and Nebraska to Colorado (and, like the Assyrians, BYU might actually have considered carrying Colorado's wives and daughters into exile and forced marriage; you don't want that).

You can get WRs and safeties in the portal. You can get QBs if you pay for them or you want one that sucks to hold a clipboard. This is fine, and your program can improve under a new coach faster than used to be the case. But it's still going to take three good years of decent coaching with minimal roster attrition to have a proper offensive line. 2025 is year four of the Dykes regime. We should be better at run blocking. Should...

 

[An-Cap Frog]

I ask this in all seriousness and am curious to hear from someone with expertise in offensive schemes. I dont doubt we need better offensive lineman but we have been so inept at running with Briles as OC that it makes me wonder how much is scheme related. I am an big football fan but have little to no actual knowledge about the technical aspects of the scheme. But thematically it seems the Briles offense is very lateral and doesnt apply a lot of force down field and I dont mean deep throws. I mean when I watch other RPO teams their offense seems more on the front foot. Ours seems side to side and basically screen based. yeah it gets a lot of yards but I dont know if it really gets you where you want to be. SO O-line talent is a concern but I tend to think the scheme is a big factor too. Or at least I wonder.

YPC (record)
2024 - 3.7 (9-4)
2023 - 4.6 (5-7)
2022 - 5.1 (13-2)
2021 - 4.9 (5-7)
2020 - 5.0 (6-4)
2019 - 4.8 (5-7)
2018 - 4.1 (7-6)
2017 - 4.6 (11-3)
2016 - 5.2 (6-7)
2015 - 5.0 (11-2)

 

[Toad Jones]

Limey....AGAIN..you make a great post. Shake those bushes, boys in the nukes and grannies of forgotten places. They're there, waiting and hoping for the opportunity to be found. Details and time are the difference in all businesses, wherever they might be! Put the word out to some of our retired men, who would relish the opportunity to participate in locating the unknown Saturday hero. All they would want is a desk/table and a phone.

 

[HornyWartyToad]

Limey....AGAIN..you make a great post. Shake those bushes, boys in the nukes and grannies of forgotten places. They're there, waiting and hoping for the opportunity to be found. Details and time are the difference in all businesses, wherever they might be! Put the word out to some of our retired men, who would relish the opportunity to participate in locating the unknown Saturday hero. All they would want is a desk/table and a phone.

I'll never forget my first experience with nukes and grannies. Horrifying to think how close we came to the end of everything.

 

[Limey Frog]

For those who have doubt, sure.

We had a season and a half of losing football in which the offense did nothing but rack up air yards without scoring. (Yes, the UCF loss was on the defense, but our offense had plenty of its own problems through six games in '24, including crucial penalties and an inability to run the ball in that loss.) Even for a game and half that we won, against Utah and Tech, the offense did nothing at all. Overall, results in the second half of this season point in favor of those who have said he's a fine coordinator but needs to get the right personnel in place. But he hasn't yet fielded an offense that plays consistently well in all phases for a full season. I'm cautiously optimistic he'll do it next year, and if he does I'll be glad.

 

[CardFrog]

A 6-6, 300-pound goalie? Holy crap.

Super easy to beat with low shots.

 

[CardFrog]

We had a season and a half of losing football in which the offense did nothing but rack up air yards without scoring. (Yes, the UCF loss was on the defense, but our offense had plenty of its own problems through six games in '24, including crucial penalties and an inability to run the ball in that loss.) Even for a game and half that we won, against Utah and Tech, the offense did nothing at all. Overall, results in the second half of this season point in favor of those who have said he's a fine coordinator but needs to get the right personnel in place. But he hasn't yet fielded an offense that plays consistently well in all phases for a full season. I'm cautiously optimistic he'll do it next year, and if he does I'll be glad.

UCF was on our coaches. To not kill some time on the last drive before UCF scored was horrendous play calling. As I recall we passed either 2 or 3 times and ran literally no clock and UCF held on to their timeout.