TCU Signing Day Recap
TCU signed 15 members to its 2020 class Wednesday on a day that saw the Frogs lose two offensive commits, but gain two on the defensive side of the ball.
TCU landed two commits mid-morning in four-star safety Ja’Darius “Bud” Clark and JUCO linebacker Jamoi Hodge. Clark was a Virginia commit, but had been long-rumored to flip to TCU before finally pulling the trigger Wednesday. Hodge was down to TCU, SMU and Louisville before picking the Frogs.
Clark, 6-2 and 177 pounds, is a really smart and athletic playmaker in the secondary. He’s going to be a guy that is always around the ball either as a hawk or being a sure tackler preventing big plays.
Hodge, 6-2 and 215, is a prototypical linebacker size that is really great in pass coverage. That’s an area of need after TCU’s young linebackers were torched next to Garret Wallow a lot this year.
Clark is one of five four-star commits to sign with the Frogs today. He’s joined by Keontae Jenkins, Patrick Jenkins, Garrett Hayes and Quentin Johnston.
Keontae joins Clark in the secondary and will be one of the fastest cornerbacks in TCU history. He reminds me a lot of Ranthony Texada, who also returned kicks and is 5-10. If he can become that kind of shut down corner this could become a fantastic TCU secondary for years to come.
Patrick, 6-2 and 270, is a big body in the trenches at defensive tackle. The Frogs have had plenty of success with defensive linemen from Louisiana and this former LSU commit should be no exception as he’s explosive and clogging running lanes and getting in the backfield.
Johnston flipped to TCU from Texas on Monday night and will be an instant playmaker for this offense. He has all the skills to be the next Josh Doctson and the hands to be able to cure a big problem for the Frogs this year.
Hayes, 6-5 and 290, is an Under Armour All-American and is skilled enough to be an early contributor and help the woes on the offensive line this year.
Hayes was one of four offensive linemen the Frogs picked up Wednesday. Joining him as a guy that can start quickly is Altrique Barlow. The 6-4, 300-pounder out of Virginia has been my favorite commit of this class for months now. I think he can do it all and will be a special player in purple.
Michael Nichols (6-5, 260) and Brandon Coleman (6-6, 320) also got their letters in. Coleman is a giant, physical specimen where as Nichols has solid footwork, but may need a little more time to contribute. Both are full of potential.
TCU nabbed two other wide outs in Caleb Medford (6-3, 185) and Blake Nowell (6-4, 185). The Frogs grabbed two more big bodies to go with Johnston on the outside. Nowell has some of the surest hands I’ve ever seen and Medford has fantastic leaping ability. These two more than make up for the two receivers the Frogs lost on signing day as Jimmy Holliday picked Tennessee (to try and play quarterback) and JUCO speedster Danny Gray picked SMU.
The Frogs rounded out the class with a pair of athletes out of Oklahoma. Running back Dominic Richardson is as impossible to tackle as we’ve seen and so is quarterback Eli Williams. Unfortunately for Williams, he suffered a knee injury late in his senior season and will likely be redshirting his first year on campus. When healthy though he played a lot like Trevone Boykin.
After lunchtime the Frogs added two more defensive linemen into the fold, including their sixth four-star player of the day.
Jaquaze Sorrells officially signed his paperwork, but had been a commit to the Frogs for months. He signed with South Carolina as part of its 2019 class, but never played for the Gamecocks and now will suit up for the Frogs. He's a monster. With him and Patrick Jenkins in the fold, the interior of the defensive line is in good hands for years to come.
Khari Coleman officially flipped to TCU from Kansas. The speed rusher from Louisiana has one of the most explosive films I've ever seen from a defensive end. He can wreck havoc on any play of any game.