TCU’s recruiting class ranks near bottom of Big 12. Why Gary Patterson isn’t worried.
TCU’s 2021 recruiting class is among the worst in years for Gary Patterson. At least based off an initial reading of the recruiting rankings by 247Sports.
The Horned Frogs have the 61st-ranked class in the nation, and the ninth-rated class in the 10-team Big 12. That’s the lowest national ranking for the Frogs since 2008.
Fortunately for Patterson, he’s never gotten too caught up in the rankings. And he says this year’s ranking is somewhat misleading.
First off, the Frogs have a smaller-than-normal class following a season in which they had only nine seniors. Additionally, 247Sports’ rankings only includes 2021 prospects and doesn’t factor in two four-star recruits TCU has in wide receiver Quincy Brown and tight end D’Andre Rogers because they were initially 2020 prospects.
“It’s a pretty good class, pretty highly ranked if you go by individual rankings of the guys we brought in here,” Patterson said. “Again, I don’t look at those kinds of things but I saw something put out on our projected starters, not by me but whoever it was, and I think we had one five-star and the rest four-stars with one three-star. Possibly the best player in that group is the three-star as far as potential at his position and what he does. It’s always interesting.”
Patterson even brought in recruiting expert Jeremy Clark, the publisher of 247Sports’ Horned Frog Blitz, to describe why TCU’s class is so lowly ranked compared to other years. Clark agreed with Patterson that the ratings per player tell a more accurate picture than the actual rankings.
TCU’s 2021 class features the best quarterback prospects from Illinois (Sam Jackson) and Alabama (Trent Battle); the best wide receiver prospect from Oklahoma (Chase Jackson); and four four-stars (Brown, Rogers, Jackson and Ahmonte Watkins). The Frogs’ only new addition during Wednesday’s National Signing Day, defensive back Abraham Camara out of Coffeyville Community College, is the top-rated JUCO safety in the country.
“The rankings are a little misleading because they award classes that have more players signed. TCU’s class accounts for only 14 signees,” Clark said. “It doesn’t count D’Andre Rogers or Quincy Brown, four-star recruits from the 2020 class even though they still have the same eligibility as all the other kids in this year’s class.
“If you look at the overall player rankings, TCU’s average player ranking would rank in the top three of the Big 12. So, if we were just to use that measurement, it would look significantly different. But this is the first time in five years that TCU has finished below third in the Big 12 rankings.”
Patterson also thinks TCU has improved its football program this offseason.
Along with incoming recruits, the offseason additions includes four transfers who have joined the program. The headliner was Oklahoma quarterback Chandler Morris coming to TCU, but the more impact players in 2021 may be Memphis transfers Obinna Eze (offensive tackle) and T.J. Carter (safety), and UCF transfer Kenny Turnier (defensive tackle).
“We wanted to better our football team,” Patterson said. “That’s the whole answer to all of this.”
Among other notable tidbits from TCU’s 2021 class:
▪ On recruiting during the pandemic, Patterson compared it to getting married based on phone calls and Zoom meetings. That’s why he expects the transfer portal numbers to increase even more in the coming years. “We didn’t hold hands. We didn’t go out to dinner. We just did phone calls,” Patterson said. “We said ‘I do’s’ over camera.”
▪ Of TCU’s 20 signings in its ‘21 class, 12 were from out of state. Said Patterson: “I think that’s in correlation with our university. About 50% of our student population is out of state.”
▪ Patterson talked about Alexander Honig, the quarterback prospect out of Germany, and how it helped that the coaches were able to see him in person at a camp on TCU’s campus before the pandemic. “If it was just from the film we saw, the games he played, it probably would’ve been hard to offer him just off that,” he said.
▪ As far as the quarterback prospects, Patterson wouldn’t rule out a couple of them changing positions but wasn’t ready to kill dreams quite yet. “I don’t want to upset them now,” he said. “But obviously you can’t have all those guys play because you can have only one quarterback play at a time.”
