TCU Wide Receiver Earns Big 12 Freshman Honors

With multiple touchdowns in his first home game, freshman wide receiver Ed Small was elected the Big 12's Freshman of the Week.

Ed Small celebrates after scoring his first touchdown of the season in TCU's win over Abilene Christian. | TCU Football Twitter/X

After TCU's 42-21 win over the Abilene Christian Wildcats, the Horned Frogs earned their second Big 12 award of the season, with Ed Small being elected the conference's freshman of the week. The freshman wide receiver had six receptions totaling 45 yards and two touchdowns in his first home game at TCU. Small's first touchdown came on a one-handed grab in the back of the endzone.

How's that for your first career touchdown 🫡#SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/TGn2Ijzhv6

— TCU Football (@TCUFootball) September 14, 2025

Before coming to TCU, Small was committed to play baseball at the University of Texas. After switching to football and joining the Frogs as a wide receiver, the true freshman quickly made a name for himself in fall camp—and he’s carried that momentum into the regular season.

Graduating from Anderson High School, Small was ranked the No. 44 wide receiver by 247Sports and the No.47 prospect in Texas. In both his sophomore and junior years at Anderson, Small was named First-Team All-Central Texas by the Austin American-Statesman as he totaled over 1,100 receiving yards with 15+ touchdowns on 127 total receptions.

Could the Freshman Wide Receiver be a Consistent Weapon for the Frog Offense?

Ed Small one hands his 1st touchdown as a Horned Frog. | Brian McLean KillerFrogs/TCUonSI

While it's likely easy to be a receiver when Josh Hoover is throwing passes, the early arrival of Ed Small is something that's been talked about by TCU fans and media throughout fall camp and the early regular season.

After not recording a reception against North Carolina, Small showed why he can be a true threat in the receiving game against the Wildcats with his team-high six receptions. Small got his start at the wide receiver position due to an injury that Jordan Bailey sustained on the opening kickoff.

With TCU about to begin an extremely difficult stretch of their 2025 schedule, the emergence of Small may be exactly what the Frogs need to keep defenses on their toes. With what receivers, Eric McAlister and Jordan Dwyer, have shown so far this season, Small only adds to the potential for big plays with his speed and agility.

Ed Small has his second touchdown of the night.

The TCU hype for the true freshman is becoming real. pic.twitter.com/Rju8XrqZ1Q

— Nick Girimonte (@GirimonteNicky) September 14, 2025

For most receivers at the college level, having a year under your belt can be all the difference in finding consistent playing time. But with Small's skill set, the freshman has fast-tracked his way to potentially being a consistent target for the TCU offense.

With his two touchdowns on Saturday against the Wildcats, Small also became the third freshman in FBS to find the endzone multiple times. If the Austin, Texas, native remains in the starting role heading into next week, the freshman will face a significant challenge when SMU comes to town for the final Iron Skillet game this coming Saturday.