TCU recruiting superlatives: Best Recruit, Future Crowd Favorite, Sleeper Recruit and more!
Stop!
Before you turn the page on TCU’s 2018 recruiting class, let’s let them marinate in the spotlight a little longer.
It was the highest-rated class in program history after all.
From the “Best Recruit” and “Sleeper Recruit” to “Future Crowd Favorite” and “Most Likely to Play on Sundays,” here are the 2018 TCU recruiting superlatives:
BEST RECRUIT
Drum roll please ... OK, so it’s QB Justin Rogers. Not much of a surprise. The dude is a future star. A one-time five-star commit, Rogers finished the recruiting evaluation period as a high four-star, per 247Sports. He’s rated as the No. 52 player overall, No. 2 dual-threat QB overall, and No. 3 player in Louisiana. What’s most impressive about these rankings is that these come after he missed most of his senior season with a knee injury. Rogers was an early enrollee for Gary Patterson’s program. Depending on his health, he should immediately challenge Shawn Robinson, a budding star in his own right, for the starting QB job.
BIGGEST RECRUIT
Anthony McKinney. Folks, this JUCO prospect is listed at 6-foot-8 and 330 pounds. [Clears eyes and reads again] Yes, 6-8, 330. If he gets his hands on you, it’s over. You simply can’t move. He’s got better lateral movement than you might expect for a guy his size, too. He should be a mainstay as a bookend on either side of the offensive line.
SLEEPER RECRUIT
Keep an eye on safety ArDarius Washington, who flipped his verbal pledge from LSU to TCU on Tuesday before signing with the Frogs on National Signing Day. Washington, a Shreveport, La. native, fills a big need for Patterson’s program as they were looking for added help in the secondary. His size is a bit concerning (5-8, 175) but he plays the run game with the type of reckless abandon you have to have at the position. LSU has its pick of the litter for who it wants to take in the secondary, especially from its home state. So the fact that he’d been a part of that Tigers class for so long speaks to his upside. He’ll be a good one for the Frogs.
FUTURE CROWD FAVORITE
You could have gone several different ways with this one, but we’ll take three-star linebacker Ben Wilson. TCU pegged him as a “must-get” guy early on and the Frogs worked their magic to land him all the way from Sumner, Wash. He’s got the long, flowing blond hair that will make him easy to see from afar. Plus he plays with the type of motor you come to expect from Patterson-coached linebackers. It won’t take long before Wilson is the talk of Amon G. Carter Stadium.
BEST BO JACKSON IMPERSONATION
This goes to two-sport star Bryson Jackson, who will attempt to play football and baseball at TCU. Jackson, a three-star wide receiver, is also a standout outfielder. Frogs baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle is well aware of his abilities on the diamond. The trick will be for Jackson to prove he can keep up with the demands of both sports.
MOST LIKELY TO PLAY ON SUNDAYS
This is another one that could have easily gone a couple of ways (See: Rogers) but we’ll go with Tevailance Hunt, a four-star WR out of Texarkana. Hunt really burst onto the national scene with a standout senior season in which he caught 69 passes for 1,243 yards and 18 touchdowns. He’s not only got ideal size to be successful (6-2, 185 with 4.4 speed), but his coachable attitude will make him a wanted man if his collegiate career plays out the way we think it will. Hunt is a Day 1 impact player. He’s a Sunday-type player too. Just watch.
LOWEST RISK
We’ll stay local with this one and go with South Grand Prarie safety Atanza Vongor. There’s plenty to love about his game. The first thing that stands out is his size (6-1, 200). He can play in space or close to the line of scrimmage without issue. And he will absolutely lay you out without hesitation. Big 12 offenses, you’ve been warned.
MOST INTRIGUING
Louisiana has been great to TCU and the Frogs should reap the benefits once again from recruiting “The Boot” with the signing of athlete John Stephens. At 6-4, 206 pounds, Stephens (Logansport, La.) was a matchup nightmare for Louisiana’s small school level. We anticipate that to continue once he learns the collegiate route tree and gets comfortable with TCU’s QBs. He’ll be a safety net in many respects because of his leaping ability, but will also be a quality short-yardage receiver because of his ability to overpower smaller DBs. A lot to like here.
This story was originally published February 8, 2018 at 4:30 PM with the headline "TCU recruiting superlatives: Best Recruit, Future Crowd Favorite, Sleeper Recruit and more!."