How TCU quarterback Adam Schobel’s decision to enroll early is already paying off
TCU freshman quarterback Adam Schobel should still be in high school right now, getting ready to enjoy his senior prom.
After leading Columbus to a 3A-Division I UIL state championship in December, you couldn’t blame Schobel if he wanted to enjoy the final months of being a high schooler.
But Schobel comes from a football family that has deep ties to TCU. His father Matt played tight end for the Horned Frogs in the late 1990s and his uncle Aaron played defensive end around the same time. Both made the NFL and Schobel’s cousin John also plays for TCU right now.
As he tries to follow in their footsteps, Schobel made a business decision to enroll early to TCU and he hasn’t regretted making the move with just two practices remaining in spring camp for the Horned Frogs.
“I had some friends that did it before and they heavily suggested it,” Schobel said of his decision to enroll early. “The second semester of your senior year you’re not doing too much. So I thought it was a good idea to get a jump on it, get a head on the offense and come up here and meet the guys. I’m definitely glad I came early, I think there’s huge benefits to it.”
The ultimate benefit is getting reps against a live defense. Learning the playbook can be a challenge for freshmen as well, but most will tell you that the biggest adjustment is getting used to the speed at the Division I level.
Texas high school football is some of the best in the country, but even that’s not enough to fully prepare a freshman for the jump up in speed and athleticism.
“Going from high school to college, everybody’s going to be a little faster, a little bigger,” Schobel said. “I feel the coaches have prepared me well to adjust to it, but obviously with the size and speed it’s going to be a little bit different.”
Schobel seems to have moved past the adjustment phase of his development cycle as he’s had a strong run of practices despite only receiving third team reps at quarterback behind Josh Hoover and Ken Seals.
His moment came on April 4 when he orchestrated a touchdown drive with fellow true freshmen Ed Small and Jon Denman. Schobel threw a 20-yard strike to Small and then capped the drive with a 10-plus yard touchdown.
Schobel had another good moment during Saturday’s open practice. He struggled during his first drive, missing all three passes, but didn’t let it impact his confidence.
On his next drive he threw a slant for at least 20 yards to Braylon James and then capped the drive by rolling out to his left and hitting Small in the endzone for a score.
The 6-foot-5 freshman has all the physical tools from his frame and arm strength. Now his mental attributes in terms of learning the offense are starting to catch up with his physical gifts.
“Schobel’s amazing,” Small said. “He’s big, can see over the line. We did routes the first few weeks in the indoor and I could see how strong his arm was. He’s really gotten a lot better over the spring just learning the playbook. Last Friday’s practice we went crazy in the indoor, he’s gotten a lot better, he’s a great quarterback.”
Another thing that has made Schobel’s transition easier is having Hoover and Seals in front of him. Both are experienced quarterbacks that have been through everything in their careers from coordinator changes to quarterback battles.
The two have embraced him on and off the field.
“We’re fortunate to have Josh and Ken raising Adam Schobel,” offensive coordinator Kendal Briles said. “He’s seeing the ways these guys do it on a daily basis and now Adam is in here, a lot of guys his age are going to prom and he’s here playing spring ball. He’s learning a lot, he’s been able to get some reps which has been so good for him.”
Schobel said the two helped get acclimated quickly to life in college and have maintained their support for him throughout spring ball which has helped build confidence.
The development of Schobel will be key for the future of the program after Hauss Hejny elected to transfer to Oklahoma State in December.
It’s only been a handful of practices and you never know what could happen in the transfer portal era of football, but the early returns on Schobel have been positive and the future could be bright for the former four-star quarterback.
