TCU Football Transfer Tracker
Note: This article was initially published in December 2023. It was updated in February 2024 with new transfers. It will continue to be updated as more transfer portal activity occurs.
After appearing in last year's National Championship Game, TCU football stock was as high as it's ever been. That stock has plummeted as fast as it possibly could after the Horned Frogs finished 5-7 this year and missed out on bowl season altogether. It was a truly disappointing season, and it is up to Sonny Dykes to turn things around. He already fired defensive coordinator Joe Gillespie and hired former Boise State head coach Andy Avalos in his place.
Still, if TCU wants to return to the national spotlight, many more improvements are necessary. And in this day of college athletics, the transfer portal is perhaps the best and fastest way to come up with those improvements.
Wide receiver Braylon James played one season at Notre Dame and is now transferring to TCU.
TCU Football Transfer Portal - Arrivals
Transfer Portal Arrivals as of February 8
JaTravis Broughton, CB (5'11, 190)
Utah transfer Broughton spent the first five seasons of his career with the Utes and recorded 126 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 10 passes defended, and one interception. He was one of Utah's starting cornerbacks last year and joins a TCU secondary that needs experience.
LaMareon James, CB (5'10, 187)
James recorded 86 tackles, two interceptions, 10 passes defended, and two forced fumbles during his time with the Old Dominion Monarchs. He tallied 59 of those tackles in 2023, a season in which he started 13 games and was named an All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention. James is ranked as the 65th-best cornerback in his transfer class.
Jevon McIver Jr., CB (6'1, 177)
McIver is the next name in a long list of defensive back transfers that the Horned Frogs added in the first cycle. The cornerback finished the 2023 season with 61 tackles, 13 passes defended, and one interception for Austin Peay. Those numbers warranted a First-Team All-UAC selection. McIver is the 92nd-best cornerback in the 2024 transfer class.
Ken Seals, QB (6'3, 220)
Let's take a break from the long list of defensive transfers and talk about Vanderbilt quarterback Ken Seals. Seals started 22 games over three seasons for the Commodores and finished with a total of 4292 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and 22 interceptions. Following the departure of Chandler Morris, the Frogs were left with just one scholarship quarterback. Seals will strengthen the depth behind Josh Hoover and provide an experienced presence in a young quarterback room. He is ranked as the 51st-best transfer quarterback in 2024.
Andre Seldon, CB (5'9, 190)
Alright, enough of that. Let's get back to the cornerbacks. Seldon spent his first two seasons with Michigan but transferred to New Mexico State after not seeing the field in Ann Arbor. In 2023 Seldon finished with 53 tackles, three tackles for loss, one interception, and seven passes defended and helped TCU's old friend Jerry Kill and his Aggies finish with a 10-5 record. Seldon is ranked as the 63rd-best corner in his transfer class.
Cameron Smith, S (6'0, 180)
Smith spent three years with the Memphis Tigers with his best being the last. In 2023 the safety recorded 57 tackles, six passes defended, and three interceptions. The Horned Frogs are losing starting safeties Mark Perry and Millard Bradford, so Smith has a chance to start for a new-look TCU defense. He is ranked as the 62nd-best safety in the 2024 transfer class.
Richard Toney Jr., S (6'0, 189)
Toney Jr., who hails from Arlington, Texas, is coming home after spending three seasons with Nevada under former head coach Ken Wilson who is now an analyst on TCU's staff. He played in 12 games in 2023 and finished with 67 tackles, 1.5 sacks, three passes defended, and two interceptions, both of which he returned for touchdowns. He is rated as the 63rd-best safety in his class.
Transfer Portal Arrivals as of December 20, 2023
NaNa Osafo-Mensah, DL (6'3, 264)
Osafo-Mensah spent five years in South Bend playing for Notre Dame before entering his name into the portal and choosing TCU. In 2023, he played in 12 games and totaled 20 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks. He went to high school at Nolan Catholic in Fort Worth and was a four-star defensive end in the class of 2019. He is ranked as the 15th-best defensive lineman in the transfer portal by 247 Sports.
Cade Bennett, OL (6'3, 305)
After spending two seasons at Oklahoma State, Bennett transferred to San Diego State, where he started and excelled for the Aztecs. He was named a preseason first-team all-Mountain West Selection by many outlets, such as Pro Football Focus, Athlon Sports, and Phil Steele. He is ranked as the 11th-best inside offensive lineman in the portal by 247 Sports.
Jaise Oliver, S (6'2, 198)
Oliver played four seasons at Tulsa before ultimately entering the transfer portal and selecting the Horned Frogs. In 2023, his senior season, he recorded 48 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and four interceptions, all of which were career highs. The Fairfield, TX native took visits to UCLA and TCU before deciding to transfer to Fort Worth.
Eric McAlister, WR (6'3, 193)
McAlister broke out for Boise State this year, finishing the season with 873 yards and five touchdowns. The Azle, TX native is returning to his home state to join a TCU offense that has produced first-round talent at receiver in the past. McAlister adds talent and experience to TCU's wide receiver room, which will greatly help whoever is throwing him the ball. He is ranked as the 21st-best wide receiver in the portal, according to 247 Sports.
Cooper McDonald, LB (6'3, 245)
McDonald started his career at Washington before transferring to San Diego State after two seasons in Seattle. The linebacker recorded 42 tackles, four tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks in 2023. He ranks as the 12th-best linebacker in the transfer portal per 247 Sports. McDonald joins former Aztec teammate Cade Bennett in TCU's transfer class.
Remington Strickland, OL (6'4, 300)
We have seen a great exodus in College Station since the firing of Jimbo Fisher, and Remington Strickland was a part of it. The big, inside lineman spent two seasons with the Aggies and brings experience to a TCU offense line that will need it. He is ranked as the 39th-best inside lineman in the portal.
Donovan Saunders, CB (6'3 185)
Saunders joins the Horned Frogs from Cal Poly, where he recorded 17 tackles, three interceptions, and 11 pass breakups in 2023. Saunders is rated as a four-star recruit and the 10th-best cornerback in the transfer portal by 247 Sports.
Braylon James, WR (6'2, 202)
James was ranked the 126th player in the country coming out of Stony Point High School in Round Rock in the class of 2023 and spent one season with Notre Dame before deciding to transfer back to Texas. He is a four-star transfer and the 16th-best receiver in the portal, according to 247 Sports.
Drake Dabney, TE (6'4, 248)
Dabney saw the losing end of the "Bluebonnet Battle" and decided to switch sides and transfer to TCU. The former Baylor Bear spent four seasons in Waco but broke out in 2023, totaling 552 yards and five touchdowns. With Jared Wiley on the way out, Dabney fills an important void for the Horned Frogs. He is ranked as the 15th-best tight end in the portal.
Kaleb Elarms-Orr, LB (6'2, 230)
Elarms-Orr spent three seasons at California, and in 2023, he recorded 92 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and one sack. The linebacker was highly sought after in the portal, but he eventually chose TCU over Ohio State. He ranks as the 10th-best linebacker in the portal.
Howard Sampson, OT (6'8, 325)
Sampson saw action in four games over his two seasons at North Texas, but the big-bodied tackle addressed a need as both Brandon Coker and Andrew Coleman are finished in Fort Worth. He is the 22nd-best offensive tackle in the transfer portal, and he chose TCU over SMU, Baylor, California, and North Carolina.
Carson Bruno, IOL (6'4, 312)
TCU's efforts to beef up the offensive line continue with Bruno. He started 24 games in his three seasons at Louisiana Tech and was an integral part of their line. He was named All-Conference USA Honorable Mention in both 2022 and 2023. He is ranked as the 18th-best IOL in the portal.
Bless Harris, OT (6'5, 326)
Harris started five games for Florida State this year and appeared in 11 games. He started his career at Lamar before transferring to Florida State, and now he will, in all likelihood, conclude his career in Fort Worth. Harris is the ninth-best offensive tackle in the transfer portal.
Devean Deal, DE (6'4, 245)
Deal finished 2023 with 40 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, four sacks, and two forced fumbles for Tulane. He will join his younger brother Markis Deal on the TCU defensive line after choosing the Horned Frogs over Houston, Kansas, and UTEP. Deal is ranked as the 13th-best defensive end in the transfer portal.
Transfer Portal Departures
- Javeon Wilcox - Undecided
- QB Chandler Morris -- North Texas
- LB Zach Marcheselli -- Tulsa
- WR DJ Allen -- UTSA
- S Randon Fontenette -- Vanderbilt
- CB Jaionte McMillan -- Minnesota
- S Chace Biddle -- Undecided
- IOL Jasper Lott -- North Texas
- WR Cordale Russell -- Colorado
- S Ishmael Burdine -- Undecided
- CB Mason White -- Oregon State
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