2020 Schedule Preview: TCU
Every Wednesday going into Big 12 Media Days on July 20-21, SI Sooners will break down Oklahoma’s 2020 schedule. Today: TCU.
For a program that relies on stability, TCU made some important changes in the offseason.
Gary Patterson goes into his 20th season in Fort Worth as the longest-tenured coach in the Big 12 (and second nationally behind Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz). Consistency has become a hallmark of one of the league’s most stable programs.
But after not going to a bowl game in 2019 and winning seven games or less in three of his last four years, Patterson added three staff members, shifted another, got important graduate transfers from Oklahoma and Colorado State, and landed a late 5-star running back to the incoming freshman class.
Former Minnesota Gophers head coach Jerry Kill joins Patterson’s support staff as special assistant to the head coach. Kill, who was best man in Patterson’s wedding, went 152-99 in 22 seasons at Saginaw Valley, Emporia State, Southern Illinois, Northern Illinois and Minnesota. Kill has battled seizures and kidney cancer and in recent years has worked in administrative roles at Kansas State and Virginia Tech.
Also, former co-offensive coordinator Doug Meacham is back as inside receivers coach after two years at Kansas and part of the spring in the XFL. Long-time assistant Jarrett Anderson switches from inside receivers coach to offensive line, where he coached from 2014-16. And Bryan Applewhite comes in from Colorado State to coach running backs after Curtis Luper left for Missouri.
Things didn’t work out for ex-Sooner linebacker Mark Jackson in Norman after Alex Grinch arrived, but he’s hoping he can reboot his career as a Horned Frog. The 6-foot-1, 236-pound Jackson played in 32 games over four seasons with the Sooners, including seven starts in 2018, when he was fourth on the team with seven tackles for loss.
And tackle T.J. Storment arrives from Colorado State, where he started 12 games at left tackle in 2019 and figures to be a key contributor on a rebuilding offensive line.
But arguably the biggest addition Patterson made this offseason was mercurial running back Zach Evans to the 2020 class.
2020 Oklahoma Sooners schedule
- Sept. 5 — Missouri State
- Sept. 12 — Tennessee
- Sept. 26 — at Army
- Oct. 3 — Baylor
- Oct. 10 — Texas
- Oct. 17 — at Iowa State
- Oct. 24 — Oklahoma State
- Oct. 31 — at TCU
- Nov. 7 — at West Virginia
- Nov. 14 — Kansas State
- Nov. 21 — Kansas
- Nov. 28 — at Texas Tech
- Dec. 5 — Big 12 Championship Game
The 5-11, 200-pound Evans was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 1 player in Texas and the No. 2 running back in the country. As a junior, he was ESPN’s No. 1 overall prospect in the country after rushing for more than 1,700 yards and 29 touchdowns and leading Houston North Shore to the Class 6A D-1 state championship.
Evans quickly narrowed down his top five to Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State and Oklahoma, then during his senior year missed two games for “disciplinary reasons.” Evans trimmed his finalists to Alabama, Georgia and LSU and added Texas A&M, delayed the planned announcement of his college choice, missed half of a playoff game while taking the ACT so he could graduate early and then quietly signed with Georgia.
Two days after signing, with North Shore back in the state title game, Evans was sent home before the game for violating team rules (he refused to turn in his cell phone after bed check). At the Under Armour All-American Game, he declined to reveal that he had signed with the Bulldogs, then as the spring semester began, Georgia released him from his letter of intent. In May, he enrolled at TCU and became the highest-rated recruit of Patterson’s career.
Evans’ skills will be needed as the Frogs try to rebuild their ground game. Darius Anderson (69 yards per game last season) and Sewo Olonilua (45) carried the load but both are gone from an attack that averaged 204 yards on the ground and 203 through the air.
Quarterback Max Duggan was responsible for much of that, compiling 2,077 yards passing and 555 rushing. Duggan accounted for 21 touchdowns, but only 15 passing TDs to go with 10 interceptions and a .534 completion percentage. Duggan will need to show growth or faces competition from Stephon Brown, the No. 1 dual threat junior college quarterback in the nation.
The TCU passing game ranked ninth in the Big 12 in yards and 10th in efficiency rating, but should be better as Duggan has a year of experience and a breakaway threat in Evans behind him. But TCU also needs better receiver play.
Jalen Reagor (43 catches, 611 yards, five TDs), now a Philadelphia Eagle, was Duggan’s go-to receiver last season, although Taye Barber (29-373-0) was the team’s leading receiver down the stretch. The Horned Frogs need greater contributions from across the board for Duggan to grow.
Four starters up front must be replaced, but after back-to-back recruiting classes ranked 25th and 28th, according to Rivals, Patterson has some options to choose from.
Only five starters are back from a defense that ranked No. 1 in the Big 12 in yards allowed (336.9), No. 2 in rushing yards (137.3) allowed and No. 1 in passing yards allowed (199.7). All-Big 12 corner Jeff Gladney leaves the biggest hole.
Patterson’s defenses will always be formidable, but with All-Big 12 linebacker Garret Wallow, All-Big 12 safety Trevon Moehrig and Big 12 defensive freshman of the year safety Ar’Darius Washington back, the Frogs once again have a shot at being elite.
One potential problem: TCU only had 22 quarterback sacks last season, which ranked eighth in the Big 12 and 92nd in the country. Jackson should lend some punch to the pass rush, but sending disruptive tackle Ross Blacklock to the NFL and graduating both corners will make getting pressure on the quarterback a challenge in 2020.
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