An in-depth look into TCU’s quarterback situation and the Horned Frogs’ 2020 season
The TCU football season feels drastically different than it did a week ago. And, no, you can’t blame this on the coronavirus pandemic.
The Horned Frogs are going to their backup plan, though.
The team revealed starting quarterback Max Duggan’s status is uncertain after he was diagnosed with an undisclosed medical condition last week. Duggan’s father, Jim, told their hometown newspaper The Daily Nonpareil in Council Bluffs, Iowa that an EKG (electrocardiogram) discovered a “heart abnormality.”
“They treated it, and now he’s recovering,” Jim Duggan said.
Duggan missing time is still a significant setback for the program as he’s been viewed as the future. The hope is he’ll return at some point during the season.
In the meantime, all eyes will be on former walk-on Matthew Downing, who is expected to take the QB reins for the Horned Frogs when they open their season against SMU on Sept. 12 at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
Even though he broke the unfortunate news about Duggan, coach Gary Patterson remained upbeat and optimistic about the season during a conference call with daily beat reporters on Thursday night. Yes, he feels bad that Duggan isn’t available for the foreseeable future, but he’s confident Downing will fill the void.
As Patterson said of the team in general, “I think our upside has a chance to be real high, but everybody else is feeling the same way. We’ve got to play.”
Duggan’s diagnosis
Max Duggan emerged as TCU’s top quarterback option early on last season, outplaying graduate transfer Alex Delton.
Duggan started the final 10 games and finished the season with 2,077 yards passing, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 555 yards and six TDs.
Duggan went through the expected growing pains as a true freshman, but garnered praise from Big 12 coaches on a weekly basis. He showed a strong arm, the ability to keep plays alive with his feet and intangible leadership qualities.
That development has been put on pause. Patterson confirmed that Duggan hadn’t participated much in training camp the last month and was diagnosed with a medical condition that has him sidelined indefinitely.
It’s a condition that Duggan has had his entire life, Patterson said, but was only recently discovered through the program’s enhanced COVID-19 testing protocols.
“Because of all the things we had in place, Max has a condition that he’s had his whole life and we caught it,” Patterson said. “Right now he’s in a good place and hopefully he’ll be getting back some time during the season.
“Right now we’ll be going forward with the rest of the quarterbacks. It’s a thing he was born with and I’m just glad we found it. I can say that.”
Downing’s time
With Duggan out, Downing has emerged as the team’s top quarterback.
Patterson has liked what he’s seen from Downing working with the first team. Former offensive tackle David Bolisomi raved about Downing’s “swagger.” And Downing’s high school coach at Alpharetta (Georgia) compared his playing style to Heisman Trophy winners Baker Mayfield and Johnny Manziel.
“He’s got the same type of game as those guys,” said Jacob Nichols, the high school coach. “He can extend plays and make plays with his legs when needed.
“Matthew’s also one of the hardest working, most dedicated kids I’ve ever coached. He’s not the guy who’s going to blow you away with a measuring tape or stopwatch. He’s just a ballplayer and gets the job done no matter what the circumstance.”
Downing is also driven to play at the highest level possible, despite the odds. Recruiting website 247Sports didn’t even give him a ranking coming out of Alpharetta.
It wasn’t like Downing didn’t impress in high school, either, starting since his sophomore season. As a senior, he threw for 2,659 yards with 24 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also rushed for 386 yards and three TDs in earning the Region 7, Class 6A offensive player of the year honors.
Whether because of concerns over his size or his ability to transition to the next level, he was a lightly recruited prospect. But Downing walked on at Georgia and worked his way up the depth chart to third-string behind Jake Fromm and Justin Fields as a true freshman in 2018.
He then headed to TCU, where his brother Michael was a walk-on safety from 2015-17 and is now a graduate assistant on the coaching staff.
Downing shined during practices last season, surpassing former top recruit Justin Rogers on the depth chart, but he never saw game action behind Duggan, Delton and Mike Collins.
Now, though, he’s at the right place at the right time with an opportunity to show he belongs in major college football.
“Matthew has always had the attitude that I’m going to shoot high and set lofty goals,” Nichols said. “He’s had a chip on his shoulder to prove people wrong and do the best he could with whatever situation he was given. I have no doubt he’ll be ready for this situation.”
Added Bolisomi: “He has a swagger to him. There’s no doubt if he’s put in that role that he will excel.”
Behind Downing?
The next question for TCU to answer is who’s the next-best option behind Downing?
Stephon Brown, who joined the program as the No. 1-rated dual threat JUCO quarterback, has gotten reps behind Downing. Freshman Eli Williams is the only other scholarship quarterback on the roster. He’s a three-star prospect who played in just five games his senior year at Sapulpa High School in Oklahoma before a knee injury ended his high school career.
There’s a number of walk-on QBs with intriguing stories such as Luke Pardee, the grandson of famed “Junction Boy” Jack Pardee, or Chase Curtis, who spent the past two seasons playing JUCO baseball before switching to football.
Another player to watch is Wilson Long, a three-star prospect out of Austin Regents School who joined the program as a preferred walk-on. Long initially committed to Princeton in December, but never signed as prospects do not sign with Ivy League schools. Before that, he was a Texas Tech commit when Kliff Kingsbury coached the Red Raiders.
Other walk-ons on the roster include Carter Bir, Grant Beucler, Christian Gelov, Jake Neufeld and Preston Morway. At this point, it’s anybody’s guess as to who emerges as the next-best option.
As Patterson said, “We need to find a third to be honest with you.”
This story was originally published August 23, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
