Why this all-conference offensive lineman transferred to TCU
When Jaheim Buchanon entered the transfer portal after last season at Florida International, he had plenty of suitors.
It’s rare to find veteran, all-conference offensive linemen in the portal, and as Buchanon weighed his options, TCU quickly made him feel like a priority.
The Horned Frogs’ intentional approach played a huge role in landing Buchanon.
“Who wouldn’t want to be in Fort Worth?” Buchanon said Tuesday. “I love TCU. I love everything about Texas, and then with TCU reaching out to me first, it really showed me that I was really wanted. When I came here, I just got that sense of family, and you don’t get that everywhere. So that was big in my decision.”
Buchanon, a redshirt junior who is 6 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 300 pounds, spent his first three seasons at FIU and redshirted in 2023. In 2024 he was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team after starting 12 games.
He was voted second team All-CUSA last season after starting 13 more games for the Panthers. Buchanon was one of TCU’s top portal signees and brings depth and versatility to the offensive line room.
Buchanon mainly played guard at FIU, but can also play center, where’s taken most of his reps with TCU this spring.
“I’m comfortable with everywhere on the offensive line for real,” Buchanon said. “But I’ve been dibbling and dabbling at center and guard, both places I’m just trying to protect my craft.”
The addition of Buchanon and Oklahoma State transfer Noah McKinney and the return of Cade Bennett are among the reasons TCU believes it will be better up front this season.
Another is the new offensive scheme of offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis, who initially started as an offensive line coach. Buchanon said Sammis’ scheme was another huge factor in TCU landing him.
“I’m very excited. When we were on my visit, I was just talking to him and soaking in all the information he gave me,” Buchanon said. “You get excited learning more about the game of football. So that just made me ultimately more excited because of the fact you usually don’t get an OC that was an offensive lineman.”
There’s always an adjustment period learning a new scheme, but Buchanon praised his teammates for how quickly they’ve accepted him into the offensive line room, and the culture at TCU has matched what he saw on his visit.
“They’re amazing, man, from top to bottom. From old to young,” Buchanon said. “We got a young freshman Devan Robinson, he’s going to be a great player. We just built a brotherhood right off the bat, I think we’re very united. We’ve very together. I can call and lean on any of those guys at any moment.
“They’ve been helping me out with moving here, showing me things. It’s been a great experience.”
Chemistry is essential for the offensive line, and it’s a good sign that Buchanon has had no issues being welcomed into the fold.
Buchanon is anticipated to vie for one of the starting interior spots, but worst-case scenario he could be a sixth man of sorts if TCU deals with an injury or a lack of production.
For now, Buchanon is just focused on learning the scheme, his teammates and trying to impart some wisdom on the Horned Frogs’ younger offensive linemen.
“I’m older, I played a couple snaps at FIU, so I feel like I have a feel for the game,” Buchanon said. “I still have to learn a little bit more about offensive play overall, but I think I’ll bring a little bit of leadership. I can mentor some of the younger guys.”
