Five storylines to watch as TCU football prepares to open spring camp
March Madness doesn’t just mean the NCAA Tournament, it also signals the start of spring football across the country.
TCU will begin spring camp Tuesday, aiming to build off a strong close to the 2025 season. The Horned Frogs won their final three games, including a thrilling overtime victory over USC in Alamo Bowl on New Year’s Eve to finish 9-4 and ranked No. 25 in the final AP Top 25.
It’s an important time for the Horned Frogs, as the foundations for great seasons are laid in the spring.
The Horned Frogs return a handful of key contributors from last year, including the hero of the Alamo Bowl, running back Jeremy Payne, but there will be a lot of new faces on the coaching staff and the field as TCU looks to make the leap from good to great in 2026.
Here are five things to watch during TCU’s spring camp:
New QB, new OC
All eyes will be on how TCU’s new signal-caller Jaden Craig does during his first practice with the Horned Frogs.
Head coach Sonny Dykes reeled in Craig to replace Josh Hoover, who transferred to Indiana in December. Craig was viewed as a potential NFL draft pick after throwing for 2,869 yards, 25 touchdowns and just seven interceptions while leading Harvard to the FCS playoffs.
Craig cited the scheme fit with new offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis as one of the primary reasons he turned down a shot at the NFL for another year in college. Sammis’ first task will be building an offense around Craig’s strengths, and there’s optimism Craig can provide more mobility at the position. Sammis was hired to replace Kendal Briles after he left for South Carolina and will implement more of a pro-style offense.
While Craig will be the assumed starter, typically Dykes has at least tried to have a quarterback battle, with redshirt freshman Adam Schobel being Craig’s primary competition to watch.
Replacing Eric McAlister
Along with replacing Hoover, the Horned Frogs must also find their next No. 1 wide receiver after the departure of Eric McAlister to the NFL. McAlister was one of the best receivers in the country last year, earning third-team All-American honors after producing 1,190 yards and 10 touchdowns.
TCU opted to not go big-game hunting in the portal for a wide receiver, as the program brought second-leading wideout Jordan Dwyer, who had 730 yards and seven touchdowns after transferring in from Idaho. He’s projected to slide to the No. 1 receiver spot, but who will fill his role from last year?
The Horned Frogs brought in Jeremy Scott from South Alabama, who had 417 yards and four touchdowns as a freshman. Scott should battle with redshirt sophomore Dozie Ezukanma and redshirt freshman Terry Shelton for the No. 2 receiver spot. Shelton in particular has excited the staff with his development.
At slot receiver, Ed Small and Major Everhart project as the two players who will compete to fill Joseph Manjack’s spot.
Max’s moment
Another position that TCU opted to lean on internal development is linebacker. All-Big 12 linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr departed, along with veteran Namdi Obiazor. Not only were the duo extremely productive, they were also among the most athletic linebackers in the country, with both finishing in the top five in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.
TCU only signed one linebacker out of the portal with the addition of Michael Short from Virginia Tech. Short had been a reserve at Virginia Tech and previously with North Carolina.
TCU’s approach to the portal shows a lot of faith in the development of redshirt junior Max Carroll. Carroll was the first off the bench last season and was productive with 34 tackles (20 solo) and four tackles for loss while playing in every game.
Carroll will be the leader of the linebacker room and will need to use all the knowledge he’s picked up from Elarms-Orr and Obiazor over the years. Other names to know include Sam Haley, Michael Teason and Anthony Williams.
Will the O-line take a jump?
The Horned Frogs’ offensive line played well down the stretch and was a big reason TCU ended the season on a three-game winning streak. The Horned Frogs return Cade Bennett, Ben Taylor-Whitfield and Ryan Hughes, though Hughes sustained a season-ending injury he’s still working back from.
The Horned Frogs bolstered the interior of the offensive line with the addition of Oklahoma State guard Noah McKinney and Florida International transfer Jaheim Buchanon. Buchanon was an All-Conference USA selection last season at Florida International.
Dykes had also previously stated how excited he was about the development of younger linemen like Samir Camacho and Witten Van Hoy. Another reason Sammis was brought to Fort Worth was his extensive experience developing offensive linemen at UConn. He has more talent at TCU. What will he be able to do with all of it, along with offensive line coach A.J. Ricker?
A revamped secondary
Competition will be the theme for the secondary, as the Horned Frogs have to replace starters like All-Big 12 safety Bud Clark and nickel safety Austin Jordan while also upgrading the performance at cornerback. All-Big 12 safety Jamel Johnson returns to lead the room, while Kylin Jackson should have the inside track to replace Jordan after being his backup last season. Julius Simms is another player to watch.
As for Clark, Louisiana Tech safety Jacob Fields should have an intense battle with redshirt junior Jordan Lester. Fields was voted the C-USA Defensive Player of the Year with Bulldogs, while Lester was a key reserve and played extensively when Clark was sidelined with an injury late in the season.
At cornerback, TCU returns Vernon Glover, who played better as the season progressed, but he’ll also be pushed after TCU signed Kalen Carroll from Central Michigan and Teon Parks from Colorado. Both players have starting experience at the Power Four level. Six-foot-3 sophomore Gil Jackson could also be a name to emerge as a starter after an impressive freshman season as a reserve.
TCU isn’t lacking for options in the secondary.
This story was originally published March 23, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
