TCU’s Eric McAlister Recognized Among College Football's Best

After a standout season, Eric McAlister earned national recognition as one of college football's top wide receivers.

Sep 20, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs wide receiver Eric McAlister (1) celebrates in front of SMU Mustangs safety Abdul Muhammad (27) after McAlister scores a touchdown during the second half at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Eric McAlister was only a TCU Horned Frog for two seasons, but he certainly made his mark on the program.

After transferring from Boise State prior to the 2024 campaign, McAlister immediately became one of the more lethal wide receivers in the Big 12. And while his impact was somewhat limited during his first year in Fort Worth — he was sharing targets with two future NFL talents in Savion Williams and Jack Bech, as well as JP Richardson — he still managed to put up 762 yards and haul in five touchdowns.

After recording the second-most receiving yards in a season in TCU history, Eric McAlister is one of ESPN’s Top 100 players of the 2025 season‼️#GoFrogs 🐸 @EricMcalister9 pic.twitter.com/2GrdOnI1Qz

— TCU Football (@TCUFootball) January 27, 2026

All that laid the groundwork for McAlister to become the No. 1 option once Williams, Bech and Richardson departed following the season. And become the No. 1 option he did. He caught 72 passes, amassed 1,190 yards and caught 10 touchdowns. It was an impressive season, one that earned him many accolades, the most recent of which was a spot on ESPN’s Top 100 Players of the 2025 Season list. ESPN placed him 96th, with Dave Wilson commenting that McAlister “had a stellar senior campaign.” That he most certainly did.

A Season for the History Books

Dec 30, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; TCU Horned Frogs wide receiver Eric McAlister (1) attempts to catch the ball against Southern California Trojans cornerback Decarlos Nicholson (17) in the first half during the Alamo Bowl at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

McAlister’s 1,190 receiving yards over the course of the 2025 season were the second-most in school history, behind only TCU legend Josh Doctson, who totaled 1,327 yards in 2015.

What Doctson didn’t have during that magical year was a 254-yard, three-touchdown performance against SMU, something McAlister put up on Sept. 20 of last year. It was a game that sent shockwaves through the Big 12, signaling that McAlister was here to stay as one of the best wideouts the conference had to offer. And while he was never able to match that effort throughout the rest of the year (how could he?), he still consistently showed up and showed out for the Horned Frogs.

Perhaps his most notable performance outside of the SMU game came in the final contest of the year against USC. It was widely expected that McAlister would opt out of the Alamo Bowl to prepare for the NFL draft, but he didn’t. Instead, he stuck by his teammates and decided to play. And while his eight catches for 69 yards against the No. 16 Trojans wasn’t the most dominant stat line of his illustrious career, it was an effort that illustrated just how plugged in he was to TCU. He was a Horned Frog for life, and he proved that in his senior season.

What’s Next for Eric McAlister?

The bright lights of the NFL now await McAlister. While it isn’t certain where he’ll end up, most draft experts have him going somewhere late on Day 2 or Day 3 of the draft. What is certain is that whatever team obtains him will be getting a player who’s a bona fide deep threat and will do whatever it takes to win.

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