His brothers played for TCU football. Now this recruit is headed to Fort Worth
Since head coach Sonny Dykes took over, TCU football has had a lot of success with the Deal family, and that continued Tuesday.
Garland Naaman Forest receiver Braylon Deal committed to the Horned Frogs and will become the third Deal brother to play in Fort Worth.
“Just being able to be developed by [receivers coach Malcolm Kelly] and play in big-time football games,” Deal said of his decision.
The oldest brother, Devean, played two seasons in Fort Worth, including earning an All-Big 12 selection last season. The middle brother, Markis, is a former four-star recruit and one of the best defensive tackles in the Big 12 heading into his junior season at TCU.
Deal is no stranger to being on campus at TCU and finally took his official visit to the Horned Frogs over the weekend. The 6-foot-3 receiver said the visit exceeded his expectations, leading to his decision.
“It was a lot of fun. I got to talk more football this time,” Deal said. “I got to get into the film room with Coach Kelly and watch the offense and be around those guys.”
While Deal is unranked by 247Sports, he holds nearly two dozen offers, including from Texas Tech, Arizona State and Stanford.
Deal said he prioritized winning and NFL development, which ultimately helped TCU separate from other contenders, thanks to Kelly.
“It’s always been great,” Deal said of his relationship with Kelly. “He’s one of the most genuine people I’ve met, and he’s developed guys since he’s been at TCU. His genuineness and how good he is as a person are things I really liked.”
As a junior Deal had to play receiver and quarterback for the Rangers, accounting for 817 passing yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions while also adding 265 rushing yards and 429 receiving yards along with nine more touchdowns. Deal said playing multiple positions helped with his development, as he’s able to see the game from multiple angles.
That versatility is among the reasons Devean believes his youngest brother could have the most potential out of all of them.
“He’s just so smart, and he’s gotten faster, bigger and stronger every year,” Devean Deal said in April. “He might have caught me heightwise now, but he’s blessed. He has the advantage of seeing me and Markis go through the whole process. He’s seen it twice now, and he knows what to expect.”
TCU is getting one of the most versatile athletes in the DFW area and Deal is getting to chance to follow in the footsteps of his older brothers who helped provide motivation for him growing up.
He spent countless days at practices, recruiting camps and other showcases and learned firsthand what it was going to take to succeed at the next level.
“It was awesome [growing up]. I’ve been at summer workouts since kindergarten, and I just learned how to work and learned the game,” Braylon Deal said. “I got to see it through them, and they’re some of the hardest workers I know.”
Deal said his older brothers weren’t involved too heavily in his recruiting process as they wanted him to make his own decision. But they did offer wisdom about how to navigate a recruiting landscape that is much more complex.
“Watching them, I learned how to read people and find out what you like in a program and maybe what you don’t like,” Deal said. “Once the ball got going they let me know it’s my own process, they’re not going to be too involved with it. But, like, what to look out for, what to look for, and just how to talk to people, you just learn those things.”
Reading people’s intentions and forming relationships is still the backbone of successful recruiting. The familiarity with the program is ultimately what put TCU in front for Deal as he continued the family’s history with the program.
There’s a good chance Deal could suit up with one of his brothers next season in Markis.
“That’s rare. I don’t know too many other families that have done something like that,” Devean Deal said. “It’ll be awesome, close to him. I can come back and visit him and Markis and my parents. It’d be a pretty cool sight to see. Markis play with him and get to play with me, so it’d just be a blessing.”
Deal is TCU’s 13 commitment for the class of 2027.
