Check out the 7 top performers from TCU football’s fall camp
The TCU football team officially turned its focus to North Carolina on Tuesday after wrapping up fall camp with a second scrimmage Saturday.
There’s plenty of anticipation for the Sept. 1 season opener, with the Tar Heels starting a new era under six-time Super Bowl champion coach Bill Belichick, while the Horned Frogs are aiming for a fast start after finishing last season on a four-game winning streak.
The usual names like junior starting quarterback Josh Hoover, senior safety Bud Clark and senior receiver Eric McAlister performed exceptionally in fall camp, but there were plenty of other Horned Frogs who emerged who could play big roles against the Tar Heels.
Here’s a look at some of the top performers from fall camp:
Kylin Jackson
The sophomore LSU transfer was arguably the defensive MVP of camp with his stellar play at nickel safety. A physical disruptor, Jackson excelled against the run and against the quick screen game of the TCU offense, producing negative plays almost every practice.
Jackson also blocked a field goal during the first scrimmage. Staff members raved about Jackson’s performance, with some viewing him as a bigger version of Abe Camara, who played nickel last year for TCU. Jackson made his case to earn reps with the first-team defense and should play against North Carolina.
Jacobe “Juice” Hayes
The freshman wide receiver from Mansfield was easily the biggest surprise of fall camp, going from an unheralded three-star recruit to placing himself firmly in TCU’s receiver rotation. Only McAlister put up more jaw-dropping plays than Hayes during camp.
From one-handed catches to 30-yard touchdowns, Hayes brought explosiveness to the offense, and head coach Sonny Dykes said it would be a surprise if he didn’t play the first snap against North Carolina.
Jevon McIver
The senior cornerback gets a slight nod as the best cover corner during fall camp. He was the only defensive back who gave McAlister problems, with his combination of height, length and physicality. McIver had an interception and multiple pass breakups while being solid during 1-on-1 drills.
McIver is an intense competition with senior Avery Helm, senior Channing Canada and sophomore Vernon Glover at corner, but whether he starts or not, McIver will play against North Carolina.
Kevorian Barnes
The second-biggest surprise of camp was the senior UTSA transfer taking control of the running back battle. Barnes handled the bulk of first-team reps throughout fall camp and looked closer to the player who was the Conference USA freshman of the year in 2022 than the one who rushed for under 300 yards last year with the Roadrunners.
He’s not flashy, but Barnes’ combination of experience, physicality and vision has clearly earned the trust of the staff. Barnes was expected to be a situational weapon for TCU, but now he’s looking like the lead running back.
Jonathan Bax
With senior Devean Deal sidelined for camp, that opened the door for the junior Bax to get more reps at stud, TCU’s edge rusher position. Bax thrived with the increased workload, as he picked up multiple sacks, made an interception and showed off an improved ability to defend against the run.
Bax will play behind a healthy Deal, but he should be line for his biggest role yet.
Ed Small
If there’s one word to describe the freshman wide receiver, it’s consistency. That’s not often a word you associate with young players, but Small has a veteran mindset that allowed him to build off a strong spring. Small was a matchup nightmare during team drills and 1-on-1s, beating younger and older defensive backs alike.
Small had multiple catches that went at least for 20 yards and also showed he can be a factor in jet sweeps with numerous big gains. Don’t be surprised if Small gets reps in the slot against North Carolina.
Connor Lingren
With sophomore Markis Deal sidelined most of camp, TCU needed someone to step up at nose tackle, and Lingren answered the call. The junior is massive at 6-foot-5, 305 pounds, but he showed he was more than a big body with improved pass rushing techniques and being strong against the offensive line at the point of attack.
