TCU football signed 21 prospects on Early Signing Day, reeling in the No. 37 overall class and the No. 6 class in the Big 12, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

Led by Arlington Martin standout Jesse Ford, head coach Sonny Dykes and the staff signed four four-star prospects in the class of 2026. All 20 of the high school signees are from the state of Texas, while TCU also added a junior college signee and Oklahoma State offensive lineman Noah McKinney, a transfer who counts as the 22nd member of the early class.

If the rankings hold, this would the lowest-rated class of Dykes’ tenure, three spots below the 2024 class that finished 34th.

But Dykes is still high on the potential of the class and said he believes TCU filled most of its needs with a quality-over-quantity approach.

“I really like the class. From a ranking standpoint, I know somebody signed over 40, which helped their teams get ranked more highly than others,” Dykes said. “But we like the class, we think it’s really good. It’s the type of players that have traditionally turned into good players for us.”

Here are four more takeaways about TCU’s signing class:

Loading up in the trenches

The strength of the class is the haul of linemen Dykes and the staff were able to bring in. Three of TCU’s four four-star signees play on the offensive or defensive lines.

Ford is the highest-ranked signee in the class as a consensus four-star defensive linemen. Listed at 6-4, 235 pounds, Ford was rated the No. 288 prospect in the nation despite missing most of this season with a hamstring tear.

“Projects as a high-major D-line piece who can set the edge while also providing some splash-play potential,” 247Sports scout Gabe Brooks said in Ford’s scouting report. “Could bulk into a true interior player as well. Continued physical and athletic development could lead to an impact player with potential beyond college.”

TCU also signed four-star edge rusher Carter Buck from Lake Travis in Austin. Listed at 6-5.5, 250 Buck is rated the No. 400 prospect overall and has 65 tackles, 30.5 tackles for loss and 18 sacks this season.

Vincent Johnson Jr., an offensive lineman from Sulphur Springs, is the second-highest ranked signee behind Ford and the type of player who could be the foundation of the offensive line for years to come. The Horned Frogs beat our league rivals Baylor and Kansas State for his commitment, only increasing how big of a recruiting win it was for the program.

Dykes said he believes the strength of future TCU teams could be in the trenches.

“We’re excited about the young linemen that we’ve signed in the last three recruiting classes on both sides of the ball,” Dykes said. “We think that’s going to be the strength of our teams moving forward because of who we’ve signed.”

Versatile wide receivers

The Horned Frogs have become one of the best programs at producing NFL wide receivers, and they used that pedigree to sign a solid group of wideouts led by Duncanville speedster Ayson Theus.

Dykes said watching Theus reminded him of another TCU wide receiver who is playing in the NFL.

Theus “reminds me a lot of Derius Davis,” Dykes said. “What made Derius so unique and different was he had that elite speed, but also that physical toughness and plays bigger than he is. Ayson to me is that, and not many guys are. He’s playing wildcat quarterback and running back and doing all the jet sweeps. They’re doing all the creative things at Duncanville to get him the football, and he’s very productive.”

TCU also made sure to add size to the receiver room with a late flip of Dripping Springs wide receiver Cooper Reid, the 6-1 speedster Khamill Pruitt from Arlington Lamar and James Scott from Conroe. Reid is listed at 6-3, while Scott is listed at 6-4.5 and is the highest-ranked receiver of the group.

Having the different body types and skill sets was a priority for Dykes and the staff.

“I think we got a steal with [Pruitt]. Not many guys can run like him, not many guys had the production he had down the stretch,” Dykes said. “I love the two big guys that we were able to get. Cooper joining the class late was very important. I think he has great length and is competitive. James is such a big body. There’s just huge potential and upside there. He has a chance to be a 6-5, 220 pound guy that can run around and has a great catch radius.”

Got their QB

TCU believes it got a steal with quarterback signee Jack Daulton. Ranked the No. 37 quarterback in the nation, Dykes said he believes Daulton is underranked when you look at his film and production.

During the regular season Daulton threw for 1,770 yards, 18 touchdowns and just three interceptions for The Woodlands. Daulton also rushed for 614 yards and eight more touchdowns.

With his dual-threat ability, Daulton is the ideal fit for Kendal Briles’ offense, which has thrived with mobile quarterbacks. Along with his athleticism, Dykes was blown away by Daulton’s accuracy when he and Briles got a chance to watch him throw live.

“He was a little bit under the radar,” Dykes said. “We saw his film, athleticism and size and had some conversations with him. We got to see him throw last January in Houston and had a throwing session. Kendal and I went to the throwing session, and he surprised us both with how accurate he was. We knew he could run. He had good track times, he’s a fast guy.

“But he threw on a really cold and rainy day in Houston. It was freezing cold, the wind was probably blowing 30 miles per hour, and I watched him throw ball after ball on time. He had good fundamentals, good arm strength, and mix in the athleticism, I’m a little surprised he’s not ranked higher.”

Instant impact defensive backs?

Two more standouts from the class were safeties Jason Bradford and Zachary Taylor. Bradford was a four-star signee out of Temple and is oozing with a potential at 6-2.5, 195 pounds. The Horned Frogs were able to flip the talented safety from Oklahoma State and kept him away from the rest of their league rivals. 247Sports ranked Bradford as the No. 24 safety in the nation and No. 39 overall prospect in Texas on its in-house rating system.

“He’s got a huge frame. He’s a big, long and athletic guy,” Dyke said. “You look at the length, we’re trying to get longer and bigger. Jason fits that mold, I don’t know how big he’s going to get, but I could see him playing a ton of different positions.”

Taylor was another flip during the summer, as TCU was able to convince him to stay closer to home after committing to Wisconsin. While listed as a cornerback on 247, Dykes expects Taylor to play safety for the Horned Frogs. Taylor has elite athleticism as a multisport competitor at Katy Jordan High and also has a high enough IQ that could allow him to push for reps early in his career.

“He was a guy we targeted early and were disappointed we didn’t get him the first time around,” Dykes said. “He’s our kind of guy. He’s just a good, smart football player. Love what he can do. He can run, he’s a good communicator. I think he’s the type of guy that has a chance to come in and compete and try and get on the field early.”

This story was originally published December 3, 2025 at 5:33 PM.

Steven Johnson

Fort Worth Star-Telegram