How the TCU quarterback competition is stacking up going into the final week of spring
TCU football doesn’t have a clear-cut favorite to win the quarterback job next fall.
Senior Max Duggan and redshirt freshman Chandler Morris are the top options at this point and both are splitting first-team reps this spring. Redshirt freshman Sam Jackson has also flashed at times, serving primarily as the third-string option.
But nobody has separated themselves from the pack. Coach Sonny Dykes and offensive coordinator Garrett Riley have both had positive things to say about the room, saying there is plenty of talent and preaching that the starter will be whoever moves the offense consistently.
Dykes, though, has also been upfront about his desire to use the NCAA transfer portal to bolster TCU’s roster. He’s said the program is constantly monitoring the portal and looking for ways to improve and add talent. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise if TCU adds another quarterback to the mix by fall camp if it feels the right fit is out there.
With that being said, Morris and Duggan don’t seem overly concerned about needing any sort of clarity on their status by the end of spring camp. Both seem pleased with the opportunities they’ve been given, had positive things to say about the staff and have embraced being part of a competition.
“I’m prepared for it to go into the fall,” Morris said. “They’re going to try to keep everyone really. They like all of us quarterbacks and they’re going to want to keep us all. I anticipate it going into the fall. It will be fun to see how our exit meeting goes before we go home for May and stuff. Now I’m not really ‘portal-it-out-of-here.’ It’s not that. It’s just go compete. That’s all we can do.”
Duggan offered a similar mindset.
“I’m not really too worried about it. Whatever happens, happens,” Duggan said. “They’ll play the best player who helps our team win, helps our offense move the ball. In my eyes, I’m not really worried about it. You just worry about yourself and how you play.”
Spring assessment
For Morris and Duggan, the spring has featured plenty of highs and lows. Just when it seems like one is starting to pull away in the competition, the other responds in a positive way.
The coaching staff certainly hasn’t tipped its hand on the matter by spreading the reps out as evenly as possible.
“We’re competing side by side. That’s what you ask for – a fair opportunity,” Morris said. “We’re getting even split reps. It’s been a lot of fun with that. As a competitor, that’s what you ask for. I’ve been licking my chops every single day getting out there on the field.”
Duggan agreed that competition brings out the best in players. Even though he was handed the starting job before fall camp last season, he’s hoping to prove himself worthy of keeping it this season.
“It’s been good for everybody,” he said. “Like I’ve said forever, competition brings out the best. It’s nothing to shy away from. Every day going at it, everybody in the room is just getting each other better. We’re still helping each other, but it’s helped everybody in the room.”
Duggan is the most experienced in the room. He’s started 29 games over the last three seasons. He threw for 2,048 yards with 16 touchdowns to six interceptions and a 64% completion percentage last season. He also rushed for 352 yards and three TDs, playing through a foot injury in the second half of the season.
Dykes has said that he’s liked the progress Duggan has shown by going through his progressions quicker. He has a tendency to hang onto the ball too long, rather than dump it off to a running back if the read isn’t there.
“Sometimes the first and second read is kind of where I get stuck on,” Duggan said. “I was waiting for guys (to get open). Knowing that internal clock, kind of getting it down and getting it to your playmakers at running back or wherever your check down is. That was something they kind of talked about, just trying to get the ball out of my hands. It’s something I’ve been working on.”
For Morris, it’s about becoming more consistent. He’ll have his standout days and then regress the next practice.
Morris proved he can play at a high level last season by accounting for 531 yards of offense (461 passing, 70 rushing) in leading TCU to a victory over then-No. 12 Baylor. But he didn’t repeat that success the following week at Oklahoma State.
Morris acknowledged inconsistency was an issue early on in the spring, too.
“There was a period, maybe week two or so, I struggled a little bit with some simple stuff,” he said. “Missing simple throws. I had to refocus. It wasn’t as new anymore, spring ball wasn’t as new. I found myself for maybe a practice or two kind of in that and also trying to do too much. I really found myself doing that and I’m glad I caught it.
“Better now than later or not noticing it at all. I regrouped and I’m trying to bring that focus back here for the last four practices.”
Dark horse candidate?
Jackson is someone who excited the fan base when he flipped his commitment from Purdue to TCU. He was a four-star prospect coming out of the Chicago area, being courted by Big Ten teams including Minnesota and Purdue.
And it’s evident that Jackson has natural playmaking ability. He’s also got one of the quickest releases on the team. But he remains a project for now as he develops his pocket presence and the importance of not bailing on a play immediately.
“I’m just working to get better every day. I make a lot of plays with my feet but I’m working on staying in the pocket and being more poised,” he said. “I definitely think I can be put in situations.”
Jackson played in only two games last season. He completed his only pass attempt for 62 yards in the Oklahoma State game.
Jackson has the quickest release of any quarterback on the roster and throws a pretty ball. It’s just about ensuring the ball is going to the right place where receivers can make plays on it. But his athleticism and ability to keep plays alive has to be enticing for any coaching staff.
For his part, Jackson wanted to stick around through the coaching change and give the new staff a chance. He had positive things to say about Riley and seems to feel he can be a fit in their scheme.
“I feel like spring has been going very well for me,” he said. “Being under coach Riley, I’ve learned a lot. Every day I’m improving. I always ask him for feedback and his feedback is always great for me. I’m a fast learner. Everything that he tells me, I try to apply it to the game each and every practice. So I feel like spring practice has been going very well for me.”
TCU will enter its final week of spring practices Monday. The spring game is set for 7 p.m. Friday, April 22 at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
This story was originally published April 18, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
