TCU can use returning cornerback Texada as example for younger DBs

Now that Ranthony Texada is back on the field for TCU, he provides more than a healthy body at cornerback.

He’s an example.

Defensive coordinator Chad Glasgow saw Texada make an impact as a freshman two years ago. He believes it was lasting.

“I think it really helps young guys who have seen other young guys that were in the same situation and stepped in and had some success,” Glasgow said. “Like with Julius Lewis last year. Julius came in and played really well toward the end of the year and had a lot of confidence. And the more those young guys can come in and have confidence early, the faster their career starts to go.”

Texada, back from a Week 3 knee injury that cost him the rest of the season in 2015, is the Horned Frogs’ most experienced cornerback. He was due to pair with Lewis, who started five games as a freshman last year, in 2016. But Lewis will miss the season after a February workout injury.

Texada is still trying to “mentally get used to the knee,” coach Gary Patterson said.

But perhaps the year away did some good.

“You can tell he’s more mature,” Patterson said. “He’s stronger. He understands what’s going on. Sometimes when you have to sit out, you learn those kind of things. It helps you in some ways.”

Safety Denzel Johnson saw the same thing.

“He still has the knowledge of the game,” Johnson said. “I feel like he’s going to come back better than he was and prove it this year. He was real disappointed that he couldn’t be out there, as anybody would, not being able to help the team when he knows that he can. But he’s going to come back strong this year. I feel like he’s good to go.”

Texada, a junior from Frisco Centennial with 16 career starts, has not been made available to talk to reporters. He was named to Scout.com’s Freshman All-America team.

“It’s been really neat to see how Ranthony’s transformed over the last year,” Glasgow said. “He was put in a really hard situation last year. But it gave him a chance to get bigger physically, get stronger, plus he got to see things as an outsider, and I think the game kind of slowed down for him. I think he’s got a better understanding of how we go do things and why we do things that way.”

Texada was second on the team in pass breakups two years ago, recovering from an inconsistent first half of the season. His first interception came in the season finale, but he showed special teams impact with a blocked PAT at Kansas and a 65-yard kickoff return in the Peach Bowl.

“It’s a huge deal, because he’s a guy that’s been in games before,” Glasgow said, asked to describe the effect of Texada’s return to action. “And he’s played in big games, and he understands what it takes to go prepare and be successful at a very high level.”

For the TCU cornerbacks, that provides the example.

This story was originally published August 15, 2016 at 5:28 PM with the headline "TCU can use returning cornerback Texada as example for younger DBs."