TCU football can’t have too much running back depth, Sonny Dykes says
You can never have too many running backs, TCU football coach Sonny Dykes said.
The Horned Frogs have already lost one of their running backs for the rest of spring practices as junior Daimarqua Foster underwent surgery on a high ankle sprain on Friday. Foster shouldn’t be sidelined long and will be ready by fall camp, Dykes said, but it reinforced the importance of having depth at that position.
Dykes said the program will continue to monitor the NCAA transfer portal in hopes of adding one or two more running backs for next season. Well, shortly after saying that, TCU landed a commitment from Florida State transfer Corey Wren.
Wren is known for his speed and returning ability, but he’ll also add some depth to the running-back corps.
“I like to think it’s impossible to be deep enough at running back,” Dykes said. “Your fourth-team tailback is just as likely as your first-team tailback to lead the team in rushing. It’s just the way it works. You’ve got to be deep back there because guys get dinged up and you’ve got to have fresh legs.
“When you can have guys that you know are strong and still have fresh legs in the middle of the third quarter going into the fourth quarter, especially in those games in September, that stuff pays off for you. We need to have four guys we feel good about, maybe even five, just because we’re going to need all of them.”
Foster had been in the midst of a productive spring, but he’s been plagued by injuries since joining TCU. He was the program’s highest-rated recruit in the 2019 class, joining as a four-star prospect who set records as the most accomplished running back in Wichita Falls history. He had more than 6,700 yards rushing and more than 100 touchdowns over his high school career at Wichita Falls Hirschi.
But Foster has just 53 carries combined over three seasons with the Frogs (including a redshirt season in 2019 as he played in only one game). He’s rushed for 211 yards and two TDs in his career.
For TCU, the No. 1 running back option remains junior Kendre Miller. Senior Emari Demercado, junior Emani Bailey, redshirt freshman Trent Battle (who worked with the quarterbacks last season) and now Wren are the top backup options.
TCU is coming off a season in which it ranked 29th in the country in rushing offense (196.2 yards per game). The Frogs were led by Zach Evans, who had a team-leading 648 yards rushing and has since transferred to Mississippi, and Miller, who finished with 623 yards rushing.
Wren will also add some competition on the returner front. Derius Davis has the most experience returning kicks for the Frogs, and cornerback Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson is also taking reps as a returner this spring.
This story was originally published April 9, 2022 at 1:36 PM.
