TCU Football Countdown: 1 Day

The last time we saw the Frog football team playing actual football against an actual opponent was December 31st, 2014. There will have been 246 days, 5,908 hours, 354,480 minutes, and 21,268,800 seconds between the final whistle in Atlanta and the first kickoff in Minneapolis (but who's counting?). In between, we have seen the hype train roll through Fort Worth, then for some reason roll back out; we have seen two players drafted by the NFL and several others sign free agent contracts; we have seen David Porter catching passes from Peyton Manning one week and Tony Romo the next; and we have seen the evolution of Trevone Boykin as a bonafide national star. But tomorrow, we get to see the only thing that really matters - real, live, football.

The man behind the #1 jersey for TCU tomorrow is a true sophomore wide receiver who goes by the name E-Man, and appears poised to be THE man in short order. Emanuel Porter is a 6'4" target who showed a ton of ability in limited action as a true sophomore, playing in 12 games, including a start against Kansas State. While his 12 receptions for 154 yards and a score may not jump off the page at you, his prodigious tape as a prep coupled with the game-breaking ability he flashed for the Frogs last year are very encouraging signs as to what we can expect as he has more opportunities to contribute this fall.

With his combination of size, speed, and ability to go up and get the jump ball, it's easy to see why he has become one of Trevone Boykin's favorite targets through camp. Listed by several local and national reporters as a breakout candidate, E-Man should benefit from defenses having to play a safety over the top when he's on the field with Kolby Listenbee as well as the double teams Josh Doctson will consistently draw on the opposite side of the field. The Lincoln High product was a highly coveted recruit; designated a four star prospect by Scout.com, he was a top ten wide receiver in the state who was targeted by Texas, LSU, Miami, and Oregon. Porter initially verballed to the Frogs in 2012, but a strong push by the Longhorns flipped him over a year later - only to see him switch back to TCU just days before signing day in 2014. A huge coup for a TCU team that then had more questions than answers on the offensive side of the ball, Porter should slide seamlessly into the roll filled by the other Porter - current Cowboy hopeful David. And with Deante' Gray's status in question, his snap count will likely increase even more.

TCU can put so many weapons on the field - Listenbee, Doctson, Ty Slanina in the slot, and JaJuan Story (who has apparently had an incredible camp) - adding a 6'4" guy with 4.44 speed just seems almost unfair. And with Boykin's love of the deep ball and the trust he has in his wide receivers to go up and get the jump ball, Porter is an ideal candidate to become a secret weapon of sorts tomorrow night. Not everyone can be blanketed by the Golden Gophers, and if they plan to try and take away Doc and Kolby over the top, Emanuel will certainly have his chance to shine under the lights at TCF.

One more day. LET'S GO!!!