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Horned Frogs reel in unusually heavy load of JUCO reinforcements
Seeking immediate help in 2016, TCU Horned Frogs coach Gary Patterson executed his plan to heavily recruit junior-college players by signing six that will enroll in January and be ready to hit the ground running during spring workouts.
TCU (10-2), which plays Oregon in the Alamo Bowl on Jan. 2, is set to lose a total of 10 starters, including four offensive linemen, two defensive ends and star receiver Josh Doctson. Receiver Taj Williams, lineman Chris Gaynor, defensive end Mat Boesen, linebacker Tyree Horton, tight end Artayvious Lynn and defensive back Markell Simmons are signed and set to join the Horned Frogs next semester, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Williams, from Iowa Western, is the nation's No. 1-rated junior-college receiver.
Patterson doesn't typically pursue such a high number of junior-college players, but the 2015 team was forced to play inexperienced young players due to an unusually high number of season-ending injuries. Bringing in experienced players, Patterson believes, will give the Horned Frogs greater immediate depth in 2016.
“They were all ‘need,’ ” Patterson said. “That’s why we take them. We graduate five, six offensive linemen; we needed a lineman. We graduate a lot of wide receivers; we got a wide receiver. We graduate two ends; we really needed an end, and we got one of those. We’ve been young at linebacker; we needed a bigger body at linebacker that can run, we got one of those.
