TCU football: Five things we learned from the Horned Frogs’ spring camp
TCU football officially wrapped up spring camp Tuesday with a light practice in its indoor facility.
It was a productive spring for the Horned Frogs, as the program incorporated a new offense, a new quarterback and multiple new position coaches on both sides of the ball.
There was an adjustment period with all the new faces, but head coach Sonny Dykes said he was pleased with the overall growth of the team after 15 practices.
“I think we made some big strides,” Dykes said. “We needed to introduce a new system and style of play offensively. We needed to get on the grass and be able to see it come to fruition, so it was good. There were some good and bads, pluses and minuses about everything that happened in 15 practices, but I think for the most part we stayed healthy. ... I thought it was good.”
With spring in the books, here are five things we learned about the Horned Frogs:
Jaden Craig will be QB1
With the departure of Josh Hoover to Indiana, TCU brought in Jaden Craig from Harvard to lead the quarterback room. If you’re wondering whether there will be a quarterback competition in the fall between Craig and redshirt freshman Adam Schobel, the answer is: unlikely.
Craig took the majority of the first-team reps and was the most polished in the room, which isn’t a surprise with the youth of Schobel and true freshman Jack Daulton. It wasn’t a perfect spring for Craig, who struggled in two of the scrimmages, but overall there was more good than bad and he seems like an ideal fit for new offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis’ attack.
“I thought he got off to a really good start,” Dykes said of Craig. “I think it’s his preparation that allowed him to do that. He knew what to do, how he was supposed to do it, got more reps as spring training went on. I think he just got more comfortable.”
Schobel is still a bit raw with his accuracy, but his mobility could be an asset. Daulton had limited reps, but flashed his potential when he did get on the field, including leading multiple scoring drives in Friday’s scrimmage.
Cornerbacks most improved?
TCU struggled at cornerback last season with the Horned Frogs ranking 14th out of 16 teams in the Big 12 in passing defense despite having two all-conference safeties and two linebackers who were solid in coverage. Too often the corners struggled to win their one-on-one battles, especially on third-and-long.
But it was a different story during spring camp.
“I think we’ve made big strides at corner,” Dykes said. “I just feel like our guys have more tools in their tool belt than they’ve had. I think they’re playing with more confidence, playing more physical. I like the room.”
TCU returns starting corner Vernon Glover, and he showed plenty of progress being another year removed from a torn ACL. The top corner was 6-foot-3 sophomore Gil Jackson, who was a savant in coverage and rarely gave up any plays. Transfer portal additions Teon Parks and Kalen Carroll also had good moments, and TCU should have a solid two-deep at corner.
Run game impresses
One reason Dykes hired Sammis from UConn was to improve a running game that ranked near the bottom of the Big 12 in back-to-back years. If the spring is any indication, then TCU should see a noticable jump in its rushing production when the season starts. Not only do the Horned Frogs return running backs Jeremy Payne and Jon Denman, Sammis’ scheme seems tailor-made for TCU’s group of athletic offensive linemen.
The offensive line quickly adjusted to Sammis’ run scheme, which requires more mobility with a zone running scheme, and the unit had consistent success creating holes. Even when Payne wasn’t on the field, Landon Walker and Joe Pitchford had solid moments due to the lanes created by a deeper offensive line.
“I think it fits our guys,” Dykes said of the scheme. “They picked it up quickly, I think we’re further ahead right now than I thought we would be, particularly in the run game. There’s still tons and tons of work to do, but I’m happy with the progress. I think it fits Jeremy.”
Defensive leaders emerging
The Horned Frogs return a lot of production defensively in year three under defensive coordinator Andy Avalos, but the biggest question mark was how the unit would replace some of its leaders. Safety Bud Clark and linebacker Namdi Obiazor have played key roles for the program since the run to the national championship game in 2022. Kaleb Elarms-Orr was a first team All-Big 12 linebacker and set the tone for the unit last season as well.
That trio meant a lot to TCU, but Dykes was pleased with how a new crop of leaders emerged organically as spring camp progressed. Linebacker Max Carroll, strong safety Jamel Johnson and defensive tackle Ansel Din-Mbuh were some of the players highlighted by Dykes in his final assessment of camp.
“I think Jamel has really grown into being one of those guys I think we can count on,” Dykes said. “We’re excited about him. Ansel is another one, guys love him, he’s got a great personality and works incredibly hard. Very mature, just one of those guys that’s a natural leader.”
Johnson was arguably the top performer of the spring with multiple interceptions, while Carroll and Din-Mbuh were anchors in the middle.
Injuries impact passing game
There was good and bad news when it came to how TCU’s passing offense performed. On one hand, young players like Terry Shelton and Dozie Ezukanman took nice strides in what will be big years for both underclassmen wide receivers. That duo will be essential as the Horned Frogs try to replace Eric McAlister and Joseph Manjack.
Also in the good news category was the play of tight end Ka’Morreun Pimpton, who should get the first crack at replacing DJ Rogers. Pimpton is a big target at 6-foot-6, and most importantly, he got through the spring healthy. He and Craig had good chemistry throughout the spring, and Pimpton could be a go-to option on third down and in the red zone.
Now it’s time for the bad news. TCU was severely limited at both wide receiver and tight end due to injuries. Leading returning receiver Jordan Dwyer was held out of spring camp for precautionary reasons, and TCU’s lone receiver addition from the portal, Jeremy Scott, also missed most of the spring. Freshmen wide receivers James Scott and Cooper Reid also got banged up and missed out on valuable reps. Braylon James was another player who missed significant time.
At tight end, Mason Peterson and Lafayette Kaiuway missed the majority of the spring. Dykes said he doesn’t believe any of the injuries are serious, but not having its full array of weapons made the passing attack inconsistent during the spring.
This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 1:35 PM.
