If TCU wants to compete for a Big 12 championship, this must improve in the offseason
TCU football’s offseason started earlier than expected with the Mercari Texas Bowl being canceled this week due to COVID-19 issues within TCU’s program.
So TCU’s season ended at 6-4. The Frogs closed by winning five of their final six games. Expectations going into 2021 will be high for TCU as it returns a number of starters on offense and defense.
Five burning questions going into the offseason:
1. Can Max Duggan and the passing game improve?
If TCU wants to contend for a Big 12 championship, its passing offense must improve. Sophomore quarterback Max Duggan has proven to be a “gamer” in his first two seasons and led the Frogs in rushing this season.
But Duggan averaged only 179.5 yards passing this season. The good news is that Duggan’s completion percentage went from 53.4% as a freshman to 60.8% as a sophomore, and he should continue to grow.
The passing game success goes beyond just Duggan, of course. But TCU appears to have a young, promising receiving corps led by Quentin Johnston, who closed his true freshman season with two straight 100-yard receiving games.
2. Will the running game remain elite?
The numbers don’t lie. When TCU reached the 200-yard rushing mark this season, it went 6-0. The Frogs led the Big 12 in rushing offense with 214.7 yards per game.
As much as the passing game must improve, the Frogs have the makings of opening up the passing game by continuing to establish the run. The running back corps is deep and talented too.
Redshirt freshman Darwin Barlow had the most yards of any back, prized freshman Zach Evans played well late and Kendre Miller flashed as a true freshman. Let’s not forget Daimarqua Foster and Emari Demercado are also on the roster for 2021.
The key for TCU is figuring out if a committee approach is the best formula for success, or if one of the running backs will emerge as the “bell cow.”
3. How does TCU replace Garret Wallow?
Wallow had a stellar college career at TCU, finishing with 295 tackles. That is the fourth-most by any defender in the Gary Patterson era.
Wallow likely would’ve joined the 300-tackle club if the Texas Bowl wasn’t canceled. Either way, he’ll leave a substantial void for the Frogs to fill next season.
On the bright side, TCU is seemingly a linebacker factory with players making seamless transitions into starting roles over the years.
Dee Winters had a solid sophomore season alongside Wallow, finishing with 65 tackles in his first full season as a starter. Fellow sophomore Wyatt Harris started six games as a true freshman in 2019.
Marcel Brooks and Dylan Jordan are also listed on the depth chart at linebacker, and Jamoi Hodge is another promising player to keep an eye on.
4. How does TCU replace its NFL-bound safety(ies)?
Redshirt sophomore Ar’Darius Washington has already declared for the NFL draft. Junior Trevon Moehrig is expected to follow, but he has yet to make his plans official.
Those departures will leave a big-time void in TCU’s secondary. Washington and Moehrig are viewed as two of the top safeties in the country.
Much like linebacker, though, TCU seems to always reload with safeties. Josh Foster is listed as the top backup to Washington at weak safety, while Deshawn McCuin is listed as Moehrig’s backup at free safety. Bud Clark is also an option at free safety.
5. What’s the coaching staff look like?
TCU made a number of changes to its coaching staff last offseason, namely bringing in Jerry Kill to serve as the de facto “offensive head coach.” With Kill’s experience, as well as his own, Patterson felt TCU could build a coaching pipeline where the program grooms and develops the game’s future coaches. Well, TCU has an offensive coordinator opening with Sonny Cumbie leaving for Texas Tech.
Patterson has not commented on potential changes to his staff. Doug Meacham would seem like a logical candidate to assume OC duties given that he was the team’s primary play-caller in 2020. Former quarterback Kenny Hill, who is an offensive analyst on the staff, and Tim Beck, the former Pittsburg (Kansas) State head coach who worked as a volunteer assistant in 2020, would seem like in-house options to promote to an assistant coaching position.
Signs point toward TCU being able to fill its staff with internal promotions, starting the pipeline that Patterson alluded to, but time will tell what direction they go to complete the staff.
