2025 TCU football preview: Horned Frogs seeking more balance on offensive line
Entering the 2025 season TCU football is hoping to find more balance on the offensive line.
On one hand the Horned Frogs were one of the best in the Big 12 at pass protection with TCU allowing just 16 sacks, tied for third-fewest in the conference.
Their ability to protect Josh Hoover allowed Hoover to set a new single season school record for passing yards, but on the other hand the offensive line played a big role in TCU’s lackluster rushing offense.
TCU ranked 13th in rushing yards per game last season with only 113.9 yards per game. Colorado, Arizona and Oklahoma State were the only teams to average fewer rushing yards.
The Horned Frogs will look for improvement without last year’s starting center James Brockermeyer, who transferred to Miami this season, but TCU also has a key transfer from its 2024 class that is finally healthy and turned heads during the spring.
A more physical offensive line means production running the ball and that means more balance on offense which should help TCU contend with a difficult schedule.
The Star-Telegram continues its TCU football preview with a look at the offensive line:
Offensive line
Starters: Ryan Hughes, Cade Bennett, Coltin Deery, Carson Bruno, Ben Taylor-Whitfield
Next up: Remington Strickland, Dylan Kinney, Quinton Harris, Rasheed Jackson, Samir Camacho
Depth: Gannon Gaubert, Cooper Powers, Kilian Registe, Creece Brister, Wesley Harvey, Logan Schram, Tobias Steppes, Jackson Jones, Witten Van Hoy
Breakdown: TCU has a lot of confidence in its starting five led by Deery at center. The former Maryland transfer has started in 20 straight games for the Horned Frogs with 19 coming at left guard and another coming at center in the New Mexico Bowl. Deery will take over Brockermeyer’s spot in the middle and there’s optimism that Deery could actually be an upgrade at that position.
Bruno and Bennett have to be considered early favorites to start at the guard spots. Bruno, a Louisiana Tech transfer, started 11 games at right guard last season and has over 30 career starts. He’s experienced and tough only missing one game in the last three seasons. Bruno could have some competition from players behind him like Strickland or Kinney, but it would be a small surprise if he wasn’t the starter against North Carolina.
Bennett is the x-factor for the starting five and the offense in general. The former San Diego State transfer was supposed to make a huge impact last year after making two straight All-Mountain West Conference teams, but he missed the entire year with a back injury. Bennett returned during the spring and made a positive impact as many of TCU’s best runs came on his side. Bennett could be a game-changer up front for TCU.
At tackle, Hughes has emerged as the favorite to start after getting valuable experience in the final four games of last season. The redshirt freshman also earned a start in the New Mexico Bowl at guard. During the spring Hughes was one of the top performers in pass protection and against the run. Hughes’ potential is undeniable and he could have a big season.
Taylor-Whitfield, a former Duncanville standout, is another the staff has high expectations for. He started the final nine games at right tackle and occupied that position with the first team offense during the spring. Taylor-Whitfield had to play earlier than expected as a true freshman in 2023 and has moved from guard to tackle at different points during his career. With more depth, Taylor-Whitfield was able to play his most natural spot during the spring and he was solid as well.
Building depth behind the starting five will be essential. TCU knows what it has in Strickland, who started two games and played nearly 400 snaps on offense last season. Kinney was a transfer portal addition from Abilene Christian and could be an interesting name to watch. Kinney projects to play in the interior, but also has experience at tackle after starting 12 games at left tackle last season.
Jackson went through the spring as a second team tackle after transferring to TCU from Incarnate World, where he was an all-conference selection. Harris manned the other reserve spot and while the junior has always looked the part physically, the question is can he take a big leap in camp?
The rest of the offensive line room is mostly made up of underclassmen including four true freshmen. Camacho is one of the names to watch in this group as he’s earned praised from Sonny Dykes for his overall development. Harvey is another intriguing redshirt freshman that can play either tackle spot.
Best case scenario: Bennett makes an immediate impact in the middle with Deery as the Horned Frogs have a much improved rushing attack and once again are one of the best pass blocking units in the Big 12.
Worst case scenario: Even with Bennett in the lineup, not much changes for the offensive line as they still excel in pass protection, but fail to find consistency creating running lanes for the running backs. The lack of balance leads to TCU losing winnable games and falling short of their goal of contending for a Big 12 crown.
The Horned Frogs will open preseason training camp on Friday.
