TCU punt returner Luper transferring to Arkansas State to play quarterback

Less than two weeks before the season opener, junior punt returner Cameron Echols-Luper announced on Twitter he is leaving TCU.

“I’ve decided to close this chapter in my life and move on and begin a new chapter, a fresh start!” he said in a message posted on his Twitter account.

TCU coach Gary Patterson said the move is to Arkansas State to play quarterback.

NBC5 Sports’ Newy Scruggs and Jeremy Clark of HornedFrogBlitz.com provided the first reports on Twitter.

Luper, a junior from Auburn, Ala., was a receiver in high school, ranked the seventh-best prospect at his position in Alabama, according to his TCU bio. He is the son of running backs coach Curtis Luper.

At TCU, Luper’s biggest impact came last season, when he returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown to help start a comeback win at Kansas. He had a 53-yard punt return to set up the Horned Frogs’ opening score at Texas.

He averaged 10.6 yards per punt return, ranking fourth in the Big 12.

As a receiver, he caught nine passes last season and four as a freshman for TCU. He was listed second on the depth chart at ‘Y’ receiver this year. In the spring, he was considered for a move to cornerback.

The depth chart lists the backup punt returners as safety Derrick Kindred, receiver Deante’ Gray and cornerback Ranthony Texada. Gray is the only player in that group who returned a punt last season, and he is still recovering from knee surgery.

Last week, Patterson spoke in optimistic terms about freshman KaVontae Turpin as a kickoff and punt returner.

Patterson is scheduled to talk to reporters Saturday morning following a practice at the stadium ahead of the annual “Meet the Frogs” autograph session.

TCU, No. 2 in the USA Today coaches poll, opens the season Sept. 3 at Minnesota.

(Star-Telegram correspondent Travis L. Brown contributed to this report).

This story was originally published August 21, 2015 at 11:52 PM with the headline "TCU punt returner Luper transferring to Arkansas State to play quarterback."