‘Hype ends today.’ Sizing up TCU’s QB battle going into fall camp. Delton the favorite?
Gary Patterson likes how TCU’s quarterback competition is setting up going into fall camp.
It can only get better at that position from last year when injuries and inconsistent play forced the Frogs to rely on their fourth-string quarterback to become bowl eligible.
“I’m a lot more comfortable right now,” Patterson said. “We’ll see how that all turns out.”
The competition started Friday.
Kansas State transfer Alex Delton appears to the favorite, but he will be pushed for the job. Junior Mike Collins has the most experience in TCU’s system, starting four games last season before a season-ending injury cut short his season.
Others in the mix include redshirt freshman Justin Rogers, who continues to improve from a severe knee and drop-foot injury sustained his senior season in high school, and true freshman Max Duggan.
Ohio State transfer Matthew Baldwin is not healthy enough to start fall camp and, as first reported by the Star-Telegram, had his waiver for immediate eligibility denied by the NCAA (although TCU plans to appeal the decision).
In the end, TCU’s QB situation will be the most-talked about matter before the season opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Aug. 31.
“Hopefully one of these guys will make it easy in fall camp and be lights-out,” TCU’s co-offensive coordinator Sonny Cumbie said, smiling.
But, for as significant as this decision will be for the team, it comes down to the basics for Cumbie.
“There’s the measurables of completion percentage and touchdowns and interceptions, all of that stuff,” Cumbie said. “But I think the biggest thing is -- do they move the ball? Do they make the other guys on the team better? That’s the mark.
“If you look at any quarterback across any level, there’s a sense where he makes his teammates better. When he gets in … he just moves the ball. That’s all we’re looking for, is guys who move the ball and make guys better.”
With that being said, we look at the four leading contenders for the job going into fall camp:
Alex Delton
The grad transfer out of Kansas State played in seven games with starts against Texas and Kansas last year. He finished 44 of 80 passing for 554 yards passing with two TDs and two interceptions.
Delton believes playing in TCU’s offensive scheme with more playmakers around him will allow him to showcase his skills better.
Asked what he needs to do to win the job, Delton said: “My mentality isn’t necessarily on that, ‘What I have to show necessarily.’ It’s more so I take things day by day and I just have to be me. I have to just be the best me I can be and that’s someone who’s going to work every day, study a little bit extra, who is going to work on my weaknesses, communicate well, and be the best player I can be.”
Mike Collins
Collins seems to be the forgotten man in the competition.
He is 100 percent healthy from a season-ending leg injury last year that also knocked him out of spring practice. Cumbie made it clear that Collins will get a fair opportunity to win the job, and that’s all he wants.
“Since I’ve gotten here, I’ve worked for everything I’ve had to get,” Collins said. “I don’t have hype, or whatever it is, I don’t really care. Hype ends today when fall camp starts tomorrow. I’m just ready to go out there. I’ve worked really long and hard to get to this position, and I’m just ready to go.”
Collins completed 56.4 percent (79 of 140) of his passes for 1,059 yards with six TDs and two interceptions.
Max Duggan
Patterson has never started a season with a true freshman at quarterback. But he likes what he’s seen from Duggan, the No. 3-rated dual-threat quarterback in the nation and Iowa’s Gatorade Player of the Year.
As a senior last season, he threw for more than 2,100 yards and 24 TDs, as well as rushing for 1,200 yards. Duggan is a dark horse but, if he’s the best guy, TCU won’t hesitate to start a freshman.
“If he’s the best player, then he’ll go out there,” Cumbie said.
Justin Rogers
Rogers joined TCU with plenty of fanfare as a highly-touted recruit out of Louisiana. But he sustained a devastating knee injury his senior season, and is still not 100 percent.
But Patterson provided good news on Thursday.
“Justin Rogers is closer right now than he’s ever been,” Patterson said. “Last year he couldn’t even go through a full rush, so what he’s learning right now is not to see the rush, learning how to be. Even though he’s a redshirt freshman, he’s like a true freshman because his first spring was the first real football 11 on 11 he was able to do. He’s close to being full speed.”
Rogers saw game action by playing one series in the Cheez-It Bowl last season.
This story was originally published August 2, 2019 at 6:30 AM.
