TCU Begins Bowl Preparations Amidst Changes

Head coach Sonny Dykes spoke to the media about the state of TCU football heading into the bowl game.

TCU will play in the Valero Alamo Bowl to close out the 2025 season. | Tony Beblowski - KillerFrogs.com for TCU On SI

For the third time in a decade, TCU will finish the season in San Antonio.

The Horned Frogs drew No. 16 USC in the 2025 Valero Alamo Bowl. TCU previously played in the Alamo Bowl in 2016 (following the 2015 season) and 2017.

TCU head coach Sonny Dykes spoke to the media Tuesday following the announcement and spoke on a wide range of topics, including the likely departure of offensive coordinator Kendal Briles, player opt outs and players to watch for in San Antonio. The Alamo Bowl is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 30, at 8 p.m. 

Kendal Briles Departure

Earlier this week, news broke that Briles would be leaving TCU for the same role at South Carolina. At the time of the presser, the news was not official, so Dykes spoke in generalities about how the news would affect TCU. 

“I don't think that anything's done quite yet on that front from an official standpoint, so I really can't say much about it,” Dykes said.

Briles joined TCU in 2023. The Horned Frogs have ranked in the top-10 to 15 nationally in passing offense the last three seasons, and quarterback Josh Hoover set a program record for passing yards (3,949) in 2024.  

Assuming Briles leaves before the bowl game, Dykes said several contingency plans exist for who would take over the offensive coordinator role and play-calling. One plan does have Dykes calling plays, but given all the other duties he has outside of game preparation, like recruiting and retaining players, fundraising, and media or community obligations, that could be a tough task.  

TCU offensive coordinator and associate head coach Kendal Briles talks to quarterback Josh Hoover (10) before the Frogs take the field for an offensive series. | TCU Athletics

“It's an ever-evolving world,” Dykes said. “And so, it's difficult for me to walk into a film room and sit there for 12 to 16 hours a day, which is really what it takes to call plays.”

As far as who could replace Briles, Dykes did not provide any potential names.

“You always have people that you know, and then you always have people that you don't know that you have watched and admired and have seen and have caught your eye and attention,” he said. “And so it's always balancing those things and just trying to find the right people.” 

Opts Outs and Practices

Player opt outs have become commonplace in non-playoff bowl games in an effort to remain healthy for either the NFL draft or potential transfer portal moves. 

So far, TCU has not had any players opt out. 

“I know when we had a team meeting on Monday, talked about the bowl game, everybody was here,” Dykes said. “It looked to me like everybody was excited to play. And so I don't anticipate anyone not playing.”

This means players with potential NFL plans like wide receiver Eric McAlister and safety Bud Clark are expected to play - at least for now. There’s still plenty of time for players to opt out.  

TCU wide receiver Eric McAlister celebrates during the regular season finale against Cinncinati. | Tony Beblowski - KillerFrogs.com for TCU On SI

TCU begins bowl game practices on Thursday. The coaching staff has started watching USC film, but will keep the first four practices focused on fundamentals. After that, the attention shifts to implementing game-specific schemes. 

“Those practices will be heavy fundamentals, heavy competition, a lot of, kind of a lot of almost like spring practices, where we're working on a lot of fundamentals and skills,” Dykes said. “Great time for everyone in our program to develop, especially our young players.” 

Players to Watch For

Sometimes, bowl games provide freshmen or backups a place to showcase their talents and provide fans a glimpse of the team’s future. That should be the case for TCU this year. Dykes expects younger players to compete for playing time and also hopes some players can return from injury, including freshman wide receiver Ed Small. 

TCU receiver Ed Small goes for a touchdown grab earlier this season. | Brian McLean - On Assignment Photo/KillerFrogs.com for TCU On SI

Small appeared in six games this season and missed several games due to injury. He earned Big 12 Freshman of the Week honors against ACU after catching six passes for 45 yards and two touchdowns. 

“We've got some o[ffensive]-linemen that I think will probably take advantage of these 12 practices before we play,” Dykes said. “And so, that's my hope, is that there'll be some guys that work their way into a possibility of playing.”