TCU football fears two of its top players are out for the season
Gary Patterson didn’t provide a promising update on two players who left with injuries during Saturday’s 33-14 loss to Oklahoma.
Patterson said the team probably lost cornerback Noah Daniels and offensive guard Wes Harris for the season. Daniels and Harris have been two of TCU’s better players this season.
Daniels is arguably the fastest player on the team and was off to a good start after missing 2019 with an injury. Daniels started every game, including posting a career-high seven tackles against Kansas State two weeks ago.
But Daniels sustained an apparent right leg injury and needed crutches to get back to the locker room just before halftime.
“It’s heartbreaking,” TCU safety Trevon Moehrig said afterward. “I went into the training room, I saw him, I heard what happened, it just breaks my heart, man. He’s a good player. He was having a helluva season so far. It’s just crazy. It’s next man up, that’s what we told the young guys, so that’s what we’ve got to do.
“I know he has the strength to come back. I know he’ll persevere and push through and come back as quick as he can.”
With Daniels sidelined, TCU turned to sophomore Kee’yon Stewart to fill the void. Stewart is expected to be the starter going forward. He started six games for the Horned Frogs last season.
Stewart was beat on a 61-yard TD pass from OU’s Spencer Rattler to Marvin Mims, but Patterson was pleased with the effort overall.
“They’ll keep getting better,” Patterson said. “They just need to keep getting better.”
Harris, meanwhile, had emerged as one of the best offensive linemen. The junior out of Aledo started all four games and was being praised by the coaching staff. Harris had an injury-plagued season in 2019, playing in just two games. He started five games in 2018.
But Harris headed to the locker room in the first half with an undisclosed injury.
With Harris sidelined, TCU continued to rotate its O-linemen. Coy McMillon received snaps at guard, as did Austin Myers (who has played mostly left tackle this season).
TCU (1-3) faces Baylor next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. in Waco.
This story was originally published October 24, 2020 at 5:00 PM.
