TCU football returns several defensive ends. But the most improved is a surprise.
Among the strengths for TCU football going into the 2021 season is its pass rushing corps. At least on paper.
Ochaun Mathis is coming off a breakout sophomore season, finishing second in the Big 12 with nine sacks. Khari Coleman impressed as a true freshman with 15 tackles for loss, which ranked second in the Big 12 as well.
As far as TCU coach Gary Patterson is concerned, though, the defensive end who has impressed the most this spring has been senior Dylan Horton.
“Ochaun has been Ochaun, but really Dylan Horton has had a really good spring,” Patterson said. “He’s pushed those guys.”
Who is Horton? He joined the program last season as a transfer from New Mexico. He played linebacker for the Lobos, registering 23 tackles in five games as a sophomore in 2019. He played safety in high school at Frisco High.
Horton moved to defensive end with the Frogs and finished the 2020 season with eight tackles, one sack and one forced fumble in eight games.
The sack and forced fumble came on a strip-sack in the regular-season finale against Louisiana Tech. Horton has carried that momentum into the spring.
This is a guy who played safety for his high school football team, as stated, as well as play basketball and compete in the long jump and high jump as a track and field athlete.
Horton’s development is a promising sign for TCU. Despite Mathis and Coleman having productive seasons, TCU still finished with only 27 sacks last season. The 2.7 sacks per game ranked fifth in the Big 12.
Along with Horton, Patterson said junior Colt Ellison is playing well this spring. Ellison, an Aledo product, is fully healthy after battling a knee injury last season.
At the end of the day, Patterson and the defensive staff like to rotate defensive ends during games and having four quality options bodes well.
“Those four guys have made a difference,” Patterson said. “We’ll be more prepared for the season than we have been just because of all the different looks that we get from them [the offense] in the run game.”
This story was originally published April 9, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
