Max Duggan opens up on returning to TCU football, competing for quarterback job
Senior quarterback Max Duggan has started 29 of the last 32 games for TCU. It’s not a given that he’ll make start No. 30, though.
Duggan is a candidate for the starting job in 2022, but he will have to play his way into keeping the top spot throughout spring practices and fall camp with the program now being overseen by first-year coach Sonny Dykes.
Duggan is OK with that as he never considered leaving TCU after the school parted ways with longtime coach Gary Patterson on Oct. 31.
“Out of high school, I signed to come here for four years,” said Duggan, who was a four-star prospect and the 2018 Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year coming out of Lewis Central High School in Council Bluffs.
“I love TCU. I love the people. I love the community. I want to be here when we’re winning championships. I love this place. It’s home. It’s been good to me. We’re just trying to give back to them, give this school a championship.”
Duggan is coming off a 2021 season in which he threw for 2,048 yards with 16 touchdowns to six interceptions and a 64% completion percentage. He also rushed for 352 yards and three TDs, playing through a foot injury in the second half of the season.
Duggan underwent foot surgery following the season and said he is 100% with spring practices getting underway Tuesday morning.
During the 11-on-11 portions of practice, Duggan played three series and finished 6-for-11 passing (unofficially) with receivers dropping two of his passes. Duggan’s best throw during team drills came in the first series when he connected on a deep route with Quentin Johnston.
Duggan also made a nice deep pass to Johnston during a one-on-one drill in which Johnston beat junior cornerback Kee’yon Stewart.
“It was fun. It was good to get back out there,” he said. “It was a long winter of winter workouts and lifting, so it was good to get back out there with all the guys, starting to move around, doing a little bit with the ball. Injury — feel good. It’s good to be back, so I’m just excited for spring ball.”
Duggan said it’s been a “little bit difficult” getting a grasp on how Dykes and offensive coordinator Garrett Riley run their version of the Air Raid offense, but said the concepts are similar to those during his previous three seasons at TCU.
It helps that last year’s offensive coordinator Doug Mecham remained on Dykes’ staff as inside receivers coach, and outside receivers coach Malcolm Kelly was also retained.
“In college football, a lot of people do the same things. It’s just kind of the terminology and trying to get used to what people say,” Duggan said. “That’s just how college football is, so you just kind of get used to it, get your nose in the playbook, and get after it.”
Overall, he had positive things to say about the new staff and what he expects to be a promising season with several offensive weapons returning.
And Duggan is a quarterback who has improved each season. His accuracy went from 53.4% as a true freshman in 2019 to 60.8% as a sophomore in 2020 to 63.9% as a junior in 2021. His yards per pass and QB rating have improved each season too.
Duggan is currently fifth on TCU’s career passing yards list with 5,920. But Duggan knows he has to showcase his ability first-hand throughout the offseason, especially with a new staff in place.
“Got to continue getting better. I feel like we’ve had this conversation the last couple of years,” he said, smiling. “Keep getting better, keep improving. Do what you can to help the team win, and do what you can to help guys get better.”
That includes the QB room. Duggan is working with the first team early this spring with true freshmen Chandler Morris and Sam Jackson taking reps behind him.
“Obviously we’re all competing with each other. Everyone wants to play,” Duggan said. “But you’re going to help each other out, help each other in the film room, in the weight room, on the field. Try to get everybody to be their best, and that’s what we’re trying to do with each other.”
TCU will have 14 more practices this spring, highlighted by the spring game scheduled for Friday, April 22. That is set to start at 7 p.m. at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
This story was originally published March 23, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
