2025 TCU football preview: Who will emerge as Horned Frogs’ starting corners?
At Big 12 Football Media Days, TCU head coach Sonny Dykes said he believed the Horned Frogs’ deepest position could be cornerback.
Depth was an issue last season as season-ending injuries to Avery Helm and Vernon Glover left the Horned Frogs short-handed throughout the year.
Those two are back healthy and the Horned Frogs also return a handful of veterans that were forced to grow last season with an increased role.
With more bodies available, cornerback projects to have the most intense position battle during camp. TCU has more options now at corner, camp will be about finding the right starting combination for the season opener at North Carolina.
The Star-Telegram continues its TCU football preview with a look at the cornerbacks:
Cornerbacks
Starters: Avery Helm, Jevon McIver Jr.
Next up: Channing Canada, Vernon Glover Jr., Elijah Jackson, Devondre McGee
Depth: Deon Mays, Cam Jamerson, Gil Jackson, Micah Strickland, Jonah Martinez
Breakdown: Corner is the one position that has an unclear picture at starter. Any of the first six players listed above could easily emerge as the starter. An 11-game starter in 2023, Helm was a lock to be a starter in 2024 and Dykes praised his growth throughout the preseason before he got hurt in fall camp.
Helm returned to the field during the spring and should be fully cleared for contact with camp starts. Helm’s had an opportunity to learn TCU’s new defensive scheme under Andy Avalos from the sideline and now it’ll be about being able to execute those principles at full speed. Helm also said he was learning the nickel safety position during the spring, which could be another way for him to get on the field.
McIver was arguably the top corner during the spring, building off the momentum of his last season performances against Oklahoma State and Cincinnati. McIver had seven tackles and two pass breakups in those two games and finished tied for third in pass breakups.
McIver has good size and physicality and went toe-to-toe with Eric McAlister throughout the spring. He’s not a guarantee to start, but should be in the rotation at worst. Canada will be the biggest challenger to either as it was Canada that started down the stretch last year in place of JaTravis Broughton. In those five games, Canada played his role well and was also solid during the spring. He’s improved each season and will hope to be a full-time starter in his senior year.
TCU landed Jackson in the transfer portal from Washington, where he started 15 games in 2023 when the Huskies reached the national championship game. Jackson figures to be another contender, but he missed all of the spring with an injury and still seemed like his rehab had a long way to go at the conclusion of the 15 practices. When healthy, he’s shown he can matchup with the best receivers in the country.
McGee was one of the young corners that benefitted from injuries as he got to see game action in seven contests. With Helm, Glover and Jackson sidelined, McGee received more reps and continued to make good strides in his development. Glover was also set for a bigger role in 2024 after playing in 10 games and recording his first interception in 2023.
Glover was slated to be in TCU’s dime package, when three corners are on the field with the nickel safety, before his season-ending injury. Glover has good length and has shown good ball skills whenever he’s been on the field. If healthy, he should be in the rotation this season.
Behind this group of six is mostly a group of true freshman plus Martinez, a junior college addition. Strickland was one of TCU’s highest rated recruits in the 2025 class as a former four-star recruit out of Brownsboro, Texas. Mays was slated to enroll at Utah, but opted to stay closer to home at TCU at the very last minute. Between Strickland, Mays, Jamerson and Jackson TCU has four true freshmen it can build around in the future.
Martinez also shouldn’t be overlooked as he was an all-conference selection at Long Beach Community College last season.
Best case scenario: TCU’s depth allows it to maintain a strong rotation of corners that can match up with any group of receivers. Similar to last season, the Horned Frogs allow less than 200 passing yards per game and the defense as a whole takes a step forward with Avalos able to use more complex concepts with more corners he can use.
Worst case scenario: Depth doesn’t translate to quality as the Horned Frogs have a revolving door at corner. The lack of a true starter leads the passing defense to take a major step back.
