TCU News: Nolan Brown's Season Over?

TCU Baseball:

TCU may redshirt centerfielder, moves freshman into weekend rotation | Fort Worth Star Telegram

In a bit of surprising news, it looks like Nolan Brown may need to take a redshirt year, after his injured hand has not healed the way the team, and player had hoped. There is good news though, as it appears pitcher Mitchell Traver is on track to be back on the mound in three weeks.

The team will likely decide by the end of the week, coach Jim Schlossnagle said. Saturday marks the halfway point of the season.

“If he plays Sunday or later, you can’t redshirt him,” Schlossnagle said.

Rangers Get Former TCU Catcher Holaday in Trade with Tigers | CBS DFW

The former Frog star, and Johnny Bench award winner, returns to DFW as a member of the Texas Rangers. Holaday bought a house in Fort Worth this past off-season.

The Rangers said Holaday will join the team on Friday. Holaday, who made his major league debut with Detroit in 2012, is a .251 hitter with three homers and 30 RBIs in 108 career games.

TCU Football:

Spring football roundup: QB still a mystery, new talent shines | TCU360

The Frogs have bolstered talent and depth this spring, as they try and replace a couple transcendent stars. It looks like some of the new guys on campus are helping to fill those big shoes.

“We wouldn’t be where we are without the 10 new guys,” Patterson said. “Markell Simmons, the safety who came in from Pima Community College, has been unbelievable. Then, you have wide receiver Taj Williams from Iowa Western Community College and freshman wide receiver Isaiah Graham.”

NFL Draft: Halapoulivaati Vaitai, OG, TCU scouting report | NFL Mocks

Big V has made quite an impression on scouts, and seems a lock to hear his name called in the Draft. A solid Pro Day Thursday could help his stock rise even further.

All of this said, I think Vaitai can excel as a guard. You’ll see in that Oregon tape the way he handles DeForest Buckner, at times with relative ease. He has no problems pushing people around, being physical, and doing a great job of keeping pass rushers at bay when they try to come at him one on one.

TCU Horned Frogs got head start on life without Trevone Boykin, Josh Doctson | ESPN.com

While the injury situation almost derailed a promising season, the silver lining is that it forced the coaches to get comfortable with the young players and guys in different roles.

Throughout the challenging weeks without them, Patterson reminded reporters (and, presumably, his players) that TCU was about to lose those seniors anyway. Life without Boykin and Doctson began a bit earlier than planned. Confronting it in November, instead of waiting for this spring, ought to prove valuable for the growth of their successors.

Big Questions Trevone Boykin Needs to Answer at TCU's Pro Day | Bleacher Report

After a disappointing NFL Combine performance, it will be up to Trevone Boykin to remind NFL Scouts and Coaches what it was that made him such a special player the past two seasons, and one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the country.

The quarterback had a reputation for making plays with his feet at TCU. He ran for 1,319 yards and 17 touchdowns over the last two seasons. His combine time may tarnish some scouts’ perception of him as a dynamic runner.

On the spot: TCU QB Foster Sawyer | ESPN.com

Gary Patterson has been very clear that the QB race is wide open, and Foster Sawyer sure doesn't sound like he's ready to concede it. Can the Fort Worth product beat out Kenny Hill for the starting nod in the fall?

Consistency this spring, leadership in the summer and scrimmages in the fall will dictate whether Sawyer or Hill is better suited to succeed Boykin. Considering Hill’s talent and the young passers (Brennen Wooten, Shawn Robinson) on the way up, there’s no better time than now for Sawyer to assert himself and prove he’s the guy.