TCU Football Countdown: 10 Days

After weeks piled on agonizing weeks of double digit numbers in our countdown, we're finally in the single digits tomorrow! Today, number 10 on the TCU roster is 5'7" 150 lb. sophomore wide receiver Desmon White. In his hometown of DeSoto Tx, Desmon played for the DeSoto High School Eagles, where he was ranked the #32 WR In Texas, 193rd in the country, and eventually (hold that thought) a 3-star recruit. He earned AP Texas district 5A offensive player of the year honors, and MVP as a dual-threat quarterback. He played varsity all four years for DeSoto and started the last two. His senior year, he passed 2,886 yards while running for 1,175, scoring a combined 43 touchdowns. His totals for the entire four years were 543 completions - 81 of those touchdowns - on 846 attempts for 8,095 yards and 4,071 rushing yards in 450 runs - 41 of those resulting in touchdowns. He was only intercepted 14 times in those 4 years. In his final two years, the DeSoto Eagles went 28-2 and a Desmond White led offense averaged 52 points per game. Just to be clear where all this was happening, this is the same district where prior offensive player of the year winners include Drew Brees, Cedric Benson, and Vince Young.

Those are stats any recruit and recruiter would love to see, but the road to Fort Worth and TCU wasn't an easy one for White. Unlike that recently photographed bear-trap laden road from Waco, White had to worry that the recruiters' "traps" on the highway from DeSoto couldn't or wouldn't catch someone of his below-typical-for-FBS size. Entering his 2013 senior season he was rated as a 2-star recruit, didn't have a single FBS offer, and in fact his only offer had come from Div. II Harding University in Arkansas. In his final two years at DeSoto, 14 of his teammates received FBS offers while he still had not heard from even one of the myriad Division I schools in Texas, let alone in the rest of the country. But by the end of the season, in addition to the amazing stats above, DeSoto had defeated six teams that ended up in the playoffs, and made it all the way to the state semifinals before falling 45-35 to #2 in the nation Allen HS. White was now rated as a 3-star, but still had no offers from any of the more than 100 recruiters who visited DeSoto that year. White attended several Division 1 school camps, and he and his father posted  this highlight video . Dallas area coaches and others were well aware of White and liked him, but felt he needed to be a little taller to be selected. The first FBS offer finally came from North Texas who wanted him to come aboard as a kick returner and possible receiver. Three weeks later TCU had finally taken a really good look beyond White's size, assessed his talent, and also made an offer. White was excited about the chance to play in the Big 12 for the Frogs (the "little guy" that had busted the BCS and the Badgers), and switched his commitment from North Texas to Fort Worth.

White played in 12 games last season for the Frogs, pulling in at least one grab in eight of those. He had 14 total receptions for 119 yards. In his best game (so far) for the Horned Frogs, he pounded the SMU ponies with iron-skillet resolve for 31 yards on 4 receptions. He participated in the roundup of the Longhorns in Austin by hooking his season longest 32 yard catch. He was also handed the ball on the run three times last season for 17 yards, 11 of those for "another TCU first down" against Kansas. I hope the pattern of his high school years repeats, because this means Desmon White is just getting warmed up, and there are some big things in store for him and TCU!