QB battle remains TCU football’s top talking point going into final two weeks of spring
All eyes remain on the quarterbacks with TCU football entering its final two weeks of spring practices.
Senior Max Duggan and redshirt freshman Chandler Morris continue to get the majority of first- and second-team reps. There hasn’t been enough separation to declare one the favorite to win the job in the fall.
Coach Sonny Dykes addressed the quarterback situation over the weekend. He’s been asked about it every news conference he’s held since becoming TCU’s head coach and it was the first topic broached when Dykes met with reporters last weekend.
“Overall pleased with the group,” Dykes said. “When you look at the entirety of it, I like what I’ve seen from the group. There’s guys that can do different things. There’s plenty of talent in the room. I like the leadership. I think guys are starting to get more and more comfortable with what we’re doing and, as they do, I think they execute at a higher level.”
Duggan and Morris have both shown flashes at times as well as inconsistencies. The same can be said for redshirt freshman Sam Jackson, who has gotten most of his reps with the third team, and true freshman Josh Hoover.
Duggan is the most experienced of the group, starting 29 games over the last three seasons. In 2021, 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.
Dykes has been pleased with the progress Duggan has made this spring.
“You can tell Max gets more comfortable back there,” Dykes said. “I’m starting to see him check the ball down, get rid of the ball more. When you look at his game film, he needed to improve on his ability to get off his primary read, even primary side of the field, and get the ball checked down to somebody and not try to force as many things as maybe he has in the past.
“That’s a step in the right direction.”
Dykes had similar praise for Morris, saying his good days are “really, really good.” Most TCU fans remember Morris’ best day last season when he led TCU to a victory over then-No. 12 Baylor in the game after Gary Patterson and the school parted ways.
Morris accounted for 531 yards of offense (461 passing, 70 rushing) and earned Big 12 offensive player of the week honors. For the season, he completed 66% of his passes (50 of 76) for 695 yards with three TDs and no interceptions. Morris also rushed for 83 yards and one TD on 25 carries.
“We’ve just got to get him performing at that kind of level all the time,” Dykes said.
As far as the remaining six spring practices, Dykes said he and the staff would evaluate how reps should be divided the rest of the way. For now, it seems like Duggan and Morris will continue getting the majority of first- and second-team reps.
“We’ll meet on Monday and talk through kind of position by position where we are,” Dykes said. “And start kind of divvying up reps accordingly and kind of see where that goes.”
