TCU’s Max Duggan one of 15 sophomores to land on Maxwell Award watch list
TCU has high hopes for quarterback Max Duggan going into his sophomore season. The program is not alone.
Duggan landed on the Maxwell Award watch list on Friday, which is given annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Duggan is one of just 15 sophomores on the list.
Other notable nominees include Texas QB Sam Ehlinger, SMU QB Shane Buechele and WR Reggie Roberson, Texas A&M QB Kellen Mond, Oklahoma State WR Tylan Wallace and RB Chuba Hubbard, Baylor QB Charlie Brewer, North Texas WR Jaelon Darden and Houston WR Marquez Stevenson.
Duggan is coming off a true freshman season where he threw for 2,077 yards passing with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He completed only 53.4% of his passes, which ranks as one of the top priorities to improve in 2020.
Duggan displayed his dual-threat ability, too, rushing for 555 yards and six touchdowns.
TCU has produced just one Maxwell Award recipient when Davey O’Brien won it in 1938.
Duggan wasn’t the only Horned Frog player to land a watch list this week, either. Linebacker Garret Wallow and offensive lineman Kellton Hollins were named to the Wuerffel Trophy watch list on Thursday, which honors college football’s top community servant.
Waiver watch
TCU landed a couple big-time transfers this month in former LSU defender Marcel Brooks and former Nebraska wide receiver JD Spielman. Neither are graduate transfers and will need to obtain immediate eligibility waivers from the NCAA to play in 2020.
TCU is hopeful both will be able to obtain waivers, but sources indicate neither has been finalized yet. It could take another week or two before the NCAA makes an official decision.
Brooks is a former five-star prospect out of Flower Mound Marcus who would be expected to make an immediate impact on defense. Spielman, who had three consecutive 800-yard receiving seasons with the Cornhuskers, would step in as an experienced receiver for an offense that lost it’s top target from last season (Jalen Reagor).
Jersey numbers
TCU has released uniform numbers for the upcoming season. A few notable numbers:
▪ Zach Evans, the five-star running back prospect, will wear No. 6 on offense. LB Jamoi Hodge will be No. 6 on defense.
▪ Spielman will remain No. 10, the same number he had at Nebraska. Brooks has not been assigned a number yet.
▪ Four-star receiver Quentin Johnston will wear No. 1, Reagor’s old number. Another four-star receiver, Savion Williams, will wear No. 18.
▪ Four-star safety Bud Clark has been given No. 12, Jeff Gladney’s old number.
▪ Oklahoma graduate transfer and defensive end Mark Jackson Jr. will wear No. 42.
▪ Four-star OT Michael Nichols out of Justin Northwest will wear No. 68.
▪ Another four-star O-lineman, Garrett Hayes, will wear No. 76.
▪ Sophomore safety Ar’Darius Washington is switching from No. 27 to No. 24.
Awaiting word
TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati said this week the school was close to finalizing contracts with opponents for Week Zero and Week 2 after losing games to Cal (Sept. 5) and Prairie View A&M (Sept. 12). Nothing has been finalized as of Friday morning.
But, if the Big 12 and TCU go forward with plans for a 12-game season this fall amid the coronavirus pandemic, TCU could open the season at UNLV on Aug. 29 at the new Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. TCU and UNLV both lost non-conference games to Cal when the Pac-12 opted for a conference-only model.
As far as the home opener, Horned Frog Blitz publisher Jeremy Clark hinted in a recent report that Tennessee Tech is a program to keep an eye on to fill that Sept. 12 date. TCU and Tennessee Tech played a non-conference game in 2010.
Tennessee Tech currently has an open date on Sept. 12. Again, though, nothing has been finalized.
This story was originally published July 24, 2020 at 2:05 PM.
