TCU wrapped up its third practice of the spring period with the best practice it’s had in six years.

Horned Frog coach Gary Patterson enters his 20th season as the Frogs’ head coach and he says this is the best practice he’s had since 2014.

“Well, I will tell you this; this is the best practice probably since 2014 intensity wise with pads for the first day,” Patterson said “I don’t know what that means but it’s a good start. I don’t know if it’s because we’re so young and we don’t know any better.”

Patterson overhauled his staff this offseason by adding Jerry Kill, Doug Meacham and Bryan Applewhite. Through three days, these changes seem to be paying off.

“Obviously you have basically a head coach for the offense,” Patterson said of Kill specifically. “We’ve been nit-picking. I like the energy. Doug being back, Applewhite has given us a big boost at the running back position. Like I said, it was probably the best energy we had in a long time.”’

The running back position is one where we’ll see major change as two seniors are likely heading to the NFL in Darius Anderson and Sewo Olonilua. That opens some doors for younger players.

“They both have a lot of ability and toughness to them,” Patterson said of redshirt freshmen Darwin Barlow and Daimarqua Foster. “That’s why I hired coach Applewhite. He’s like a running back with a defensive mentality.”

Emari Demarcado will also be returning in the backfield. Joining the running backs will be sophomore quarterback Max Duggan, who is the only healthy scholarship quarterback and is getting all the first-team and some second-team reps.

“We’re getting him as many reps as we can,” Duggan said. “He needs the reps to be honest with you. He’s taking more than just the one’s. He was a freshman last year, we needed to grow him up. He’s taken a lot of reps.”

On the defensive side of the ball, newcomers on the defensive line are already flourishing.

“We just need to develop guys so they become good,” Patterson said. “Ochaun (Mathis) is not out here this spring. Khari Coleman and Pat Jenkins have already showed signs of why we recruited them. We’re excited about that.”

Patterson said he expects Mathis and other injured Frogs to be fully healthy by the summer and he’s not as depleted by injuries at this stage of the year as he has been recently.

While the team is off to a good start at Tre Tomlinson is having one of the best springs of anybody on the team, Patterson isn’t trying to inflate players’ egos too much.

“I don’t tell them that (they are great). You guys might, but I don’t. That was last year. This is this year,” Patterson said. “I don’t tell them that they’re good. I tell myself I play every day like we’re behind. It’s how I coach. It’s how I want my players to play like.”

TCU will have one more practice Thursday before taking time off for spring break next week. The spring game will be March 28.