The Hidden Number That Could Define TCU's Offense

Quarterbacks and receivers get the attention, but TCU's ability to create mismatches from 12 personnel may determine how far the offense can go.

Oct 18, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs tight end Ka'Morreun Pimpton (88) makes the touchdown catch in front of Baylor Bears safety Kendrick Simpkins (16) during the second half of a game at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

The quarterback will get most of the attention, the receivers will get the features, and the running backs will get mentioned whenever anyone needs to explain why the offense should work this time. That's the star map, and it's not wrong because those players do matter. But some star maps have a blind spot that doesn't always show you what's holding everything together.

This year, the tight ends could be exactly the connection the Horned Frogs need.

What We Know About Who's Left

DJ Rogers (34 rec, 319 yds, 2 TD) and Chase Curtis (13 rec, 167 yds, 2 TD) accounted for the bulk of TCU's tight end production in 2025. Both are now on NFL rosters, and the players left behind have a combined 4 career receptions as Horned Frogs.

Oct 18, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs tight end Ka'Morreun Pimpton (88) makes the touchdown catch in front of Baylor Bears safety Kendrick Simpkins (16) during the second half of a game at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Ka'Morreun Pimpton is predicted to be the TE1 heading into 2026, a 6-foot-6, 250-pound Fort Worth native whose size, catch radius, and blocking potential made him one of the more intriguing tight end recruits in his class. Pimpton played two seasons at LSU before transferring to TCU. He chose to return to TCU after the 2025 season, indicating he believes there's a role here.

What he hasn't done yet is claim one. In 2025, he played in four games, caught one pass for a three-yard touchdown against Baylor, and spent most of the year battling injuries. His ceiling is real, but his résumé at TCU is nearly blank.

Kari Ashley emerged as one of the more talked-about tight ends during spring practice. Though undersized for the position, he showed reliable hands and athleticism in practice that could earn him a larger role in 2026. Spring practice is a controlled environment, but the tools are real enough that Sammis can't ignore them.

Lafayette Kaiuway played in 10 games in 2025 and caught three passes for 33 yards and a touchdown against Colorado, his first career touchdown. Mason Peterson played in all 13 games on special teams but didn't record a catch on offense. Both are strong depth pieces with potential to grow, but will need more time.

Why 12 Personnel Changes The Math

A real shift shows up in two places: target share and yards per play out of 12 personnel. If this room finishes the season with something in the range of 18 to 22 percent of total targets, that would represent a meaningful jump in involvement. That's Sammis building something, not just filling a roster spot.

Brian Estridge, Gordon Sammis (OC), and Andy Avalos (DC) participate in a Frog Club event, discussing the upcoming season and key storylines surrounding the Horned Frogs. | KillerFrogs.com for TCU On SI

12 personnel flips the equation. One running back, two tight ends, two wide receivers. It looks heavier, and it is, but that's the point. Two tight ends on the field at once force defenses to make a choice it doesn't love: match the size with linebackers who can't cover, or go lighter and get outmuscled at the line. When done right, it creates conflict before the ball is even snapped.

Tight end involvement isn't just about a receiving story. It's a run-blocking story, a play-action story, and a coverage conflict story all at once.

The recruiting profile was always promising, but the problem has been availability. If Pimpton is available for a full season, his frame alone changes what Sammis can do in the run game: heavier fronts, more personnel flexibility, blocking combinations that don't give away the offensive intentions

How Tight Ends Help Jaden Craig

The best thing you can do for a quarterback in his first FBS season is to shrink the field. Tight ends do that. They create short, reliable throws in the middle of the field that turn into real gains after the catch. When play-action is working off a run game that defenses respect, those throws get even easier to find.

Credible tight-end reads change everything for a defense. Cover the outside, and Kaiuway, Pimpton, or Ashley are available in the middle. Account for them, and someone on the perimeter comes open. This isn't a complicated offense; it's a balanced one, which is harder to stop.

The Number That Will Tell The Story

The tight-ends don't need to be stars. They need to be reliable enough that defenses have to account for them, so that Sammis can't be schemed away from the position.

Whether Pimpton finally becomes what his recruitment suggested, whether Ashley's spring translates to gameday, whether Kaiuway takes the step his trajectory implies, those are the questions that will tell you more about what this offense actually is than any preseason depth chart ever could.