![]() ![]() "How crazy is this? He was my uncle's roommate at Texas Tech." "I've known Sonny for a little bit," JP Richardson said. Richardson, the son of former Texas A&M quarterback Bucky Richardson, also had a previous relationship with Dykes. It's got to end soon, right?' And they just kept on winning."ĭykes said his staff had connections to several of the players from recruiting them in the past, including Earle and Brockermeyer who both played high school football in the Fort Worth vicinity, as did Robinson and Wright. They had to fight back and win a lot of games and every week, with people just thinking, 'They're gonna go down. "There's so much to learn ," Richardson said. Richardson, who caught five passes for 50 yards and a touchdown against TCU last year, described what he saw from them that appealed to him. They also added corner Avery Helm from Florida. They, too, came from big programs: Jaylon Robinson from Ole Miss, JP Richardson from Oklahoma State, Jack Bech from LSU and Dylan Wright from Minnesota. ![]() Dykes brought in three players from Alabama (running back Trey Sanders, wide receiver JoJo Earle and offensive tackle Tommy Brockermeyer), along with several other receivers to restock after the departures of three Frogs, including first-round pick Johnston, to the NFL. Still, there were several former star recruits at big programs who fit with this year's mission. "I don't know that it means that much to us." "For us, a good player is a good player, a productive player is a productive player and a lot of times it doesn't matter if they're from Southwest Assemblies of God or from Alabama," Dykes said, mentioning defensive linemen Tico Brown, who transferred from Missouri State last year and Rick D'Abreu, who came from East Carolina this year. Austin (Caleb Fox) and UConn (Lwal Uguak) and Louisiana running back Emani Bailey, who led the Big 12 in yards per carry (8.1) in a backup role. That includes linebacker Johnny Hodges, the Frogs' leading tackler, who arrived from Navy after TCU was the only Power 5 school to extend an offer, Josh Newton, a first-team all-Big 12-corner from Louisiana-Monroe, key defensive line rotation members from Stephen F. Last year's transfer group was filled with under-the-radar types that proved to be hidden gems. It's clear that Dykes' relationships in Texas, combined with his early success at TCU, garnered plenty of attention from other Power 5 players looking for a new home. But this team seems, so far, even more focused and more dedicated and even more mature." We lost a lot of older guys off the team last year, a lot of leadership. "The 'want to' is really there," Dykes said. Can a program that patched together a historic run maintain that standard despite the losses? The questions led the Frogs to a fifth-place prediction in this year's Big 12 media poll.įor Dykes, though, there's a quiet confidence he has, all based on the way his team is moving on after the ride stopped. So it's fair that TCU begins this season as it did last year, with a healthy amount of skepticism. His replacement, Kendal Briles, inherits a group that only returns 33% of its offensive production from Riley's crew. Not to mention that last year's offensive coordinator, Garrett Riley, is busy installing his offense at Clemson, where he was introduced four days after the Georgia game. Consensus All-American Steve Avila at guard. Thorpe Award winner Tre'vius Hodges-Tomlinson at corner. First-team All-Big 12 running back Kendre Miller. Linebacker Dee Winters, the defensive MVP of the Fiesta Bowl. First-round draft pick Quentin Johnston at receiver. Starting quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist Max Duggan. The bigger issue facing this year's team is that much of the heart and soul of that 13-2 Cinderella season is gone: Nevermind that those two games - a 31-28 Big 12 title heartbreaker to Kansas State in overtime, and a 65-7 humbling by Georgia in the College Football Playoff National Championship - just happened to be in huge games that the Frogs were never expected to reach (and were sandwiched on either end of a thrilling 51-45 semifinal win over Michigan in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl). "So I think are hungry and ready to get back out and win some football games." "We lost two of our last three games last year," Dykes said this week. He prefers a more straightforward approach. If his players want to use it, that's their prerogative. ![]() TCU coach Sonny Dykes isn't big on playing the disrespect card or any other chip-on-your-shoulder motivation. Sonny Dykes and TCU football's new path after a historic 2022 season You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser ![]()
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