Tori's Thoughts: TCU's Seniors Will Leave Their Mark at The Carter One More Time on Saturday
Ready or not, the 2023 home finale is here, which means the 22 seniors listed on TCU’s roster are nearing the end of their collegiate playing careers.
Some of these seniors started their career at TCU in 2019 while others transferred in over the past few seasons. This group’s lone postseason appearance (2023 results pending) came last year when the Horned Frogs went undefeated during the regular season and appeared in the national championship game.
This week, I decided to highlight a few seniors on defense, offense and special teams who will play in Amon G. Carter Stadium for the final time on Saturday against Baylor.
Defense
Josh Newton, Cornerback
Josh Newton earned First-Team All-Big 12 honors in 2022, his first season at TCU. The Louisiana-Monroe transfer ranked second on the team with 12 pass breakups. He tacked on three interceptions and 35 tackles. Before the 2023 season, Newton appeared on several preseason All-American lists and postseason award watchlists. Newton’s community involvement grabbed national attention, too, as he is a nominee for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and Wuerffel Trophy. This season, Newton has racked up 27 tackles, five pass breakups and an interception. He earned an East-West Shrine Bowl Invitation and made the Senior Bowl Midseason All-American team.
TCU Horned Frogs cornerback Josh Newton (24) breaks up the pass to Oklahoma State Cowboys wide receiver Braydon Johnson (8) during the first half at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
Jamoi Hodge, Linebacker
Jamoi Hodge’s only scholarship offer coming out of high school came from Wingate, a Division II school. Fast forward five years, Hodge is now one of the best linebackers in the Big 12 Conference. He earned an Honorable Mention All-Big 12 nod in 2022 and has started 32 consecutive games as a Horned Frog. During the 2022 season, Hodge posted a career-high 13 tackles at West Virginia and his first career interception came at Kansas. Hodge has recorded 202 career tackles, including 16.5 tackles for loss, and leads TCU with eight quarterback hurries this season.
Offense
Jared Wiley, Tight End
Jared Wiley transferred from Texas last season and immediately made an impact. Wiley earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors last season after catching a career-high 24 passes for 245 yards and four touchdowns. One of those touchdowns came against Oklahoma State and tied the game 30-30 with 1:57 left. The Horned Frogs went on to beat the Cowboys in overtime. Wiley’s best performance came the following week versus Kansas State with 74 yards and a touchdown on five catches. This year, Wiley has become a go-to downfield target with 32 catches for 303 yards and four touchdowns. He has shown versatility as a route runner, coming out of the slot position and off the line from a more traditional tight end spot. Wiley’s blocking prowess has helped open up running lanes and provided solid pass protection.
Andrew Coker, Brandon Coleman & Jon Lanz, Offensive linemen
Andrew Coker has made 45 career starts, including a team-high 37 consecutive starts at left tackle and right tackle, dating back to the 2021 season. Coker played 1,043 snaps in 2022 and was named an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. Although Coker is listed as a junior on the roster, he came to TCU in 2019 and is viewed as an 2024 NFL draft prospect. He is also on the Reese’s Senior Bowl watch list.
Brandon Coleman earned a spot on the 2023 Senior Bowl Midseason All-American team and appeared on Bruce Feldman’s College Football Freaks list before the season. Coleman has started 32 of the last 34 games, with the majority coming at left tackle, and played 1,036 snaps last season. He earned 2022 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors.
John Lanz has been at TCU since the 2018 season. He started 11 straight games between the 2020 and 2021 seasons before being sidelined by an injury. Lanz appeared in 14 games last season and has started every game at center in 2023.
Special Teams
Griffin Kell, Placekicker
Griffin Kell will leave TCU as one of the most decorated and accomplished placekickers in program history. His 59 made field goals currently rank third all-time behind Jaden Oberkrom (79) and Nick Browne (65). Kell has made four of the 10 longest field goals in TCU’s history, including three beyond 50 yards during the 2023 season. A 57-yarder against Nicholls State ranks first on the all-time list. Oberkrom and Michael Reeder were the other kickers to accomplish that feat. Kell is also behind one of the most memorable moments from the 2022 season. His 40-yard field goal as time expired gave TCU a 29-28 win over Baylor. The “Bazooka” play call kept the Horned Frogs on track for an undefeated regular season and the college football playoffs. Kell earned First-Team All-Big 12 honors in 2022.
Jordy Sandy, Punter
Jordy Sandy earned all-Big 12 honors as a punter following the 2020 and 2022 seasons. The 2020 season featured five touchbacks and nine punts of at least 50 yards. In 2022, Sandy recorded three touchbacks on 63 punts and had five punts travel at least 50 yards. His longest punt as a Horned Frog came in 2021 on a 64-yard boot against Cal. That same season, Sandy averaged a career-best 43.3 yards per punt. Sandy has also been the holder for PATs and field goals since 2019. Over the past two seasons, Sandy has turned football into a philanthropic endeavor, too. He is donating $20 to Fort Worth’s Hope Center for Autism for every punt that lands inside the 20-yard line. He donated $360 (18 punts) last year and is at $200 (10) so far in 2023. Kell is also donating $20 for every field goal he makes this year ($260, 13 field goals).
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