Two Frogs Score NFL Combine Invites

Two members of TCU’s Football team have scored a golden ticket of sorts, securing an invite to the NFL Combine in March.

Running back Kyle Hicks, an Arlington native, is listed at 5’10”, 210 pounds. He rushed for over 2100 yards across four seasons after redshirting due to injury as a freshman, scoring 19 touchdowns on 4.7 yards per attempt. Hicks had a thousand yard season as a junior, averaging over five yards per carry and scoring 12 times despite the TCU offense as a whole struggling. He dealt with a multitude of dings and nicks as a senior, but showed great toughness and leadership in playing 12 out of 14 possible games in his final season. Hicks is an exceptional receiver out of the backfield, something that should make him attractive at the next level. Hicks has averaged over nine yards per catch and is just shy of one thousand for his career. He is also an exceptional pass blocker and great at blitz pickup.

The former four star recruit was a late flip to TCU from Texas, and made a huge impact in Fort Worth. Missing just one game in four seasons, Hicks helped lead his team to a Big 12 title, a NY6 Bowl game, and three bowl wins in four seasons. He was an honorable mention All Big 12 player in 2016. He projects as a late round pick, but could raise his stock with an impressive performance in Indy.

Joseph Noteboom is an imposing presence on the offensive line, standing 6’5” and weighing in at 306 pounds. Noteboom has seen action in all 53 games the Frogs played across his four years in Fort Worth, starting in 40 of them across the past three seasons. An Academic All-Conference member all four years, Noteboom was also honored as a Honorable Mention All-Big 12 player after his senior season. Rated the #12 tackle in the state, the Plano native was a top 100 player at his position nationally coming out of high school. Noteboom is currently projected as a fourth round draft pick, and could soon join Super Bowl hopefully Aviante Collins and Big V in the big leagues.

Surprisingly, linebacker Travin Howard was not invited, despite being one of the most productive players in college football over the last three years. TCU’s all time leading tackler may need to move back to safety in order to get a shot at an NFL roster, but no one that has watched him play should doubt that he will find a way to make it at the next level. QB Kenny Hill, receivers Taj Williams and John Diarse, offensive linemen Austin Schlottman and Patrick Morris, and defensive back Ranthony Texada should all get good long looks at TCU’s Pro Day later this spring, as well.

TCU hopes to add to Gary Patterson’s 42 drafted players in April, when the NFL holds their premier off-season event - in Dallas this year for the first time. TCU has sent 15 players to the combine over the past four years.

The NFL Combine will take place from March 2nd-5th and can be watched in full on NFL Network.