TCU Running Back to Enter Transfer Portal

It's officially transfer portal season in college football, which means that the TCU Horned Frogs are losing some production from this past season.

Sep 20, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover (10) hands the ball off to running back Nate Palmer (21) during the game between the TCU Horned Frogs and the SMU Mustangs at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The transfer portal hasn’t opened yet, but players from across the country have already stated their intent to enter it when it officially opens for business on Jan. 2. TCU quarterback Josh Hoover already announced that he was leaving Fort Worth several days ago, and now backup running back Nate Palmer has done the same.

Palmer, a former three-star recruit out of Decatur, Texas, has been with the Frogs for two seasons. Over that period, he’s intermittently been a figure of the rushing attack — especially this past season when several Horned Frogs running backs went down with injuries. In total, he’s accumulated 164 rushing yards on 41 carries throughout two seasons in college, with 139 of those yards coming in 2025. He has yet to score a touchdown in his college career.

I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.””
Genesis 28:15

3 Years of eligibility left! pic.twitter.com/ezOC4WuLSR

— Nate Palmer ✞ (@NatePa7mer) December 22, 2025

“I’m blessed to have had the opportunity to represent the City of Fort Worth and TCU the last 2 years,” Palmer said in a post on X on Dec. 22. “Thank you to ALL of TCU staff for believing in me and pushing me to be the best version of Nate Palmer on and off the field. Thank you to my teammates for all the memories we have created the last 2 years. I have formed relationships and met friends I will call brothers the rest of my life. After careful consideration with my family, I’ve decided to enter the transfer portal. God bless & Thank you Horn Frog Nation.”

Palmer’s best performance came in the team’s opening win over North Carolina, where he ran it seven times for 61 yards. In the Frogs’ final game of the season against Cincinnati, he carried it a career-high eight times for 33 yards.

What Will TCU’s Rushing Attack Look Like Next Season?

Nov 29, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs running back Jeremy Payne (26) runs with the ball during the game between the Horned Frogs and the Bearcats at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

While it’s difficult to forecast exactly how TCU’s roster will shake out in 2026, it can be safe to assume that Jeremy Payne will be the featured running back for the Horned Frogs next season. With Kevorian Barnes being a senior and Palmer entering the portal, the opportunity is Payne’s for the taking.

It’s deserved, too. The sophomore from Missouri City, Texas, had a productive season that saw him put up 550 yards on 97 carries. He reached the end zone on four occasions as well. Should he parlay that success into 2026 — perhaps with an additional boon thanks to the arrival of new offensive coordinator Gordie Sammis — then TCU will be set when it comes to running the football.