3 Unlikely TCU Football Players Who Could Make the Biggest Difference in 2026

TCU's biggest breakout players in 2026 may not be the stars everyone is talking about. These three Horned Frogs could quietly become the difference between a good season and a championship contender.

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

TCU, led by Max Duggan in the 22-23 football season got a taste of what no other Big 12 team has gotten, a playoff win and a championship appearance. That TCU team was a mix of transfers to longtime frogs along with younger freshmen; they all had to make a difference for that run to even happen. TCU seemed to be one of the first to take advantage of the portal, bringing in older players. Guys like Alan Ali, Mark Perry, and Josh Newton were experienced players who came in and immediately made an impact.

Going into 2026, TCU will need to see some guys beat expectations, not just meet them, just like the championship run. Today, I'm going to lay out a few unlikely names I really like from a few different position groups. And maybe we have a few Alan Ali, Mark Perry types among us.

TCU Football | X: @TCUFootball

No. 3 John Hoyet Chance Could Transform TCU's Special Teams

Yes, I absolutely will be the guy who talks about the punter, and TCU got a really good one out of the portal. TCU feeder school, LA Tech sends TCU a second team, all C-USA player who punted with the best of them around the country. Punter is an ugly position; you truly would rather not know your punter's name than know it. Football is a 3 level sport, and you need to be good at all levels of the game, including your special teams. TCU was not great last year; they ranked 111 out of 134 in Net punting yards. That leaves your defense always on a short field, resulting in fewer stops. It all truly comes full circle when you are not getting good production from this unit.

Last year's punter, Ethan Craw, netted 37 yards on his punts. John Hoyet chance netted 43 yards, which was 6th in the country, a massive difference for the unit, which in part will help the whole team. I'd expect Chance to hop right in with this team, and the Frogs will need him early on as TCU will play a very competitive non-conference schedule, and with a new Offensive coordinator in the building, expect there to be some quirks to work out on the offense early. Chance will need his A game to help solidify the unit next to star kicker Kyle Lemmerman.

GOLDEN BOOT 🎮

John Hoyet Chance starts out as the #9 punter in @EASPORTSCollege #CFB27 📈#GoFrogs 🐸 #ForTheWorthy pic.twitter.com/J4HqUcLNyf

— TCU Football (@TCUFootball) June 25, 2026

No. 2 Max Carroll Could Become the Leader of TCU's Defense

Max Carroll, a Memphis, TN, is a guy I'm looking at to make a big difference on the defense. The RS junior we've heard about for some time but haven't quite seen show out to the level we all expect. The linebacker position at TCU, especially on Sonny Dykes' teams, has shown to be an important cog in how the defense runs day in and day out. During the championship run, we had many good LBs, but one who stood out and has gone on to do well in the pros is Dee Winters, an explosive LB who played with such speed and tenacity that he had an eye for the game. TCU needs to find some Dee Winters in Max Carroll, because if they can, they have a guy who can anchor this defense.

Carroll still has a ton to learn and improve on going into before we can put that label on him this season. You can also argue he hasn't been given the reps necessary to reach his full potential, but this year, he will see those reps. Carroll is extremely athletic, but he's also a big LB standing at 6,3 givin his speed and size, this is the type of player you can both drop into coverage and send hunting after the QB. I think if TCU's defense looks to improve, this season will lean on Carroll to range to passes and cover the run.

TCU defenders wrap up the Long Island Quarterback for a tackle. | Brian McLean/KillerFrogs

No. 1 Ben Taylor-Whitfield May Hold the Key to TCU's Offensive Success

One of the biggest and consistently strongest guys on any field, Ben Taylor-Whitfield will need to be a huge player this season for the Frogs. BTW is currently penciled in to be TCU's left tackle, and with a right handed qb thats the most important position on the offensive side of the ball. TCU has struggled over the last 2 years with its O-Line, and AJ Ricker, the O-Line coach, has his seat getting hotter since the Championship run, which saw great O-line play. BTW is going to need to develop massively this year for the frogs to be successful both running and throwing the ball. We can get excited for the new QB Jaden Craig, but if his blindside is consistently broken, TCU will not be effective at all. New Offensive Coordinator Gordon Sammis is a ground-and-pound guy who has a ton of experience with O-Line coaching and asks a lot from his O-line.

Ben Taylor-Whitfield will definitely need to improve his technique if he wants to hold his starting spot. Size, as we noted, isn't a question, but a lot of these bigger O-linemen tend to struggle with moving around on pin and pull plays, and struggle with their hands. BTW committed a bunch of costly penalties that killed drives before they even began last season. He will need to come into 2027 with improved technique, but if he does, BTW has the potential to match Brandon Coleman, who helped anchor the O-line for the championship run.

Ben Taylor-Whitfield in the middle of a blocking drill. | Oscar Garcia Photography/KillerFrogs

The Winning Formula

TCU has some massive players to replace heading into 2026, such as Eric McAlister and Josh Hoover. Going into this season, we have players to replace those guys, but they can not do all the winning. TCU needs to continue working in the aggregate and build a winning team, not winning individuals. That's why I decided to write about some players who many aren't talking about, but are just as important.