Here’s why TCU’s only hard commit of the 2020 class remains unsigned
A flurry of national letter of intents arrived at TCU’s football offices on Wednesday.
Virginia offensive lineman Altrique Barlow got his paperwork in first followed by Temple wide receiver Quentin Johnston. A number of others followed suit on Day 1 of the early signing period.
By the end, TCU had received 15 letters of intent. But Edinburg Vela offensive lineman Tyler Bailey ranked as the only hard commit who didn’t sign.
What’s going on there?
“It’s a long story,” Bailey said during a telephone interview with the Star-Telegram on Wednesday night.
Long story short — Bailey sustained a serious shoulder injury early on this season, a severe labral tear that is requiring months of rehab. The recovery timeline is long enough where Bailey and TCU’s coaching staff felt it would be best for him to re-classify to the 2021 class.
So if Bailey ends up going to TCU, he’d likely take what’s known as a “grayshirt.” That means he’d wait an extra semester to become a full-time student and part of the team. Bailey is still unsure when he would sign and get on campus, whether it’s this summer or January 2021.
Much depends on what sort of progress he’s made by his next checkup appointment in January. If it’s going well, Bailey may be able to participate in practice by the start of fall camp. In that scenario, he would enroll this summer and pay for the summer tuition on his own before going on scholarship in August.
Or, if it looks like he’ll need more time, Bailey likely would get a day job for the summer and fall semester and join the team in January 2021.
“We’ll see,” Bailey said. “I’m not wanting to throw myself in against some big, monster defensive linemen if I’m not ready to go. I’d rather give myself extra time to heal.
“I did have a pretty severe tear. My doctor doesn’t want me to reinjure it. It wasn’t an easy fix.”
At the end of the day, Bailey wants TCU fans to know he remains committed to the program. But Bailey acknowledged things could change with the departure of offensive line coach Chris Thomsen heading to Florida State.
Bailey called himself 100% committed to TCU on Wednesday night, but acknowledged on Thursday that he’s going to leave his options open in case something happens with his scholarship situation at TCU.
On Wednesday, Bailey said: “I’m sure I’ll get phone calls, but I don’t see myself switching from TCU. When I blew out my shoulder, they were there to reassure me. I don’t think I’ll flip. I really appreciate Coach Patterson and everything they’ve done.”
For now, Bailey is focused on his rehab and preparing to compete at the college level. He is going through band-resistance exercises until he’s cleared to lift weights again.
When he’s fully recovered, though, Bailey should provide immediate depth to the O-line corps if he sticks with TCU. At 6-foot-5, 280 pounds, he’s played all five positions along the line. If he has to kick out to tackle in emergency, he’s capable of doing that.
Oh, and he brings the right mindset to the field.
“I’ve always played with aggression,” Bailey said. “Since I got up to the high school level, you had to be mean to survive. I enjoy it. I enjoy taking a guy out of the play. It’s a fun thing to do.”
Bailey embraces the mantra of “finishing blocks.” He loves watching Pro Bowl left tackle Taylor Lewan play on Sundays for the Tennessee Titans.
“I love his nasty game. He finishes people,” Bailey said. “When you get on that football field, you have that one job. You lose your spot, you lose your starting position, if you don’t get your job done. So you’ve got to be meaner than the other guy.
“That guy in front of you, you’ve got to take him out of the play. You’ve got to make him hate his job, so you get your job done.”
Off the field is a different story for Bailey. He prides himself on being a South Texan and plans to return to the area once his football days are over.
He and his family take frequent trips across the border to Mexico to shop and eat.
As Bailey said, “South Texas has the best food you can ask for. I love it down here. I expect to do some rounds up in North Texas, but hope to end up back here.”
This story was originally published December 19, 2019 at 8:30 AM.
