Since Gary Patterson took the reins in 2001, the Frogs have had only three losing seasons. But the 2016 campaign seemed to be the most disappointing of those, as a preseason ripe with hope ended unceremoniously with a loss to Georgia in the Liberty Bowl. With many questions left unanswered after the conclusion of a 6-7 campaign, we look back at what went right, what went wrong, and what to look forward to in 2017.
What Went Right:
The Frogs discovered several gems on the defensive side of the ball, as Gary Patterson molded his young group into an aggressive squad that was one of the best in the nation at getting to and bringing down the QB. Linebackers Ty Summers (San Antonio Reagan) and Travin Howard (Longview) each had over 100 tackles on the season, and safety Niko Small (Arlington Bowie) earned defensive MVP of the Liberty Bowl after his eight tackle day. With Ranthony Texada (Centennial) fully healthy in the latter part of the year, he looked like the All-Conference player he was expected to be after bursting on the scene as a true freshman. With another offseason under their belts, the linebacking corp and secondary should be outstanding a year from now.
Redshirt freshman Adam Nunez (Houston Second Baptist) also emerged as one of the best young punters in the country, and should ensure that TCU is set at that position for the next three years. Junior Desmon White (DeSoto) showed flashes of brilliance as a punt return, averaging nearly 8.0 yards a return in filling in for an injured KaVontae Turpin.
Offensively, Kyle Hicks (Arlington Martin) established himself as the go-to guy on offense, as he led the Frogs in both rushing (1,086 yards) and passes caught (47) in 2016. The junior running back showed the explosiveness he was so highly touted for out of high school, while also consistently breaking tackles and racking up yards after the catch. Center Austin Schlottman (Brenham) capably filled the big shoes of current Seattle Seahawk Joey Hunt, and became the leader of the offensive line. Freshman Darius Anderson (George Ranch) took hold of the backup running back job, and had his coming out party against Texas in November, where he displayed his exceptional speed.
What Went Wrong:
The defensive line was an all or nothing operation, as they got the quarterback consistently, but gave up huge rushing days to multiple teams down the stretch. With several starters graduating this year, Patterson will have a lot of work to do in the offseason to establish that unit with a lot of new faces, including highly touted recruits Ross Blacklock (Elkins), Brandon Bowen (Byron Nelson), and Isaiah Chambers (Aldine MacArthur) – all three of whom redshirted in their first year on campus. Patterson also struggled to establish a regular corner opposite Texada, with Jeff Gladney (New Boston) and Julius Lewis (Mansfield) trading starts once Lewis returned from injury.
Special teams was a struggle for TCU all season long, as an injury to do-everything sophomore KaVontae Turpin hindered the punt and kick return game throughout the season. Kickers Ryan Graf and Brandon Hatfield each missed potential game-changing kicks, including Hatfield’s three misses against Tech and two against Georgia, which certainly could have turned losses into wins. With injured kicker Jonathan Song (Fort Worth All Saints) expected to return for spring drills, this issue may fix itself.
On offense, QB Kenny Hill (Southlake Carroll) struggled with accuracy and turnovers throughout the year, overshadowing a handful of brilliant games with several mistake-filled ones. The Frogs were never able to establish a clear identity on offense, as the play-calling was suspect at times and downright awful at others. With Josh Doctson gone to the NFL, no player seemed ready to fill his immeasurable shoes, and a true number one receiver was never established. The group as a whole was plagued with a bad case of the drops, and lacked confidence in big moments. With the amount of talent they possess from top to bottom, it’s likely the unit will bounce back this fall – and they played their best game of the season in the finale, with Isaiah Graham and John Diarse making several highlight reel plays.
Ultimately, 2016 was not the year expected by Frog fans or national pundits, most of whom saw TCU as a top 15 team heading into fall camp. Though the Frogs fell far short of their goals, it was not a total lost year, and there are plenty of reasons to believe 2017 will see them return to a winning record and getting back on track in Big 12 play. One thing is for sure, this will be a hungry group when spring ball kicks off just a few months from now.
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