Three former Frogs invited to NFL Combine

Three TCU Football defensive players will be heading to Indianapolis next month, as linebacker Ty Summers and defensive ends LJ Collier and Ben Banogu received exclusive invites to participate in the NFL Combine.

Collier and Banogu will also be participating in the Reese’s Senior Bowl, which takes place in Mobile, AL later this month.

Last year, the Frogs had two players among the 335 selected, when Kyle Hicks and Joseph Noteboom got the call. Noteboom was the highest TCU player to be drafted - taken in the third round by the Los Angeles Rams - while Hicks went undrafted, but signed a free agent deal with the Chiefs. Banogu was a top prospect a season ago, where Mel Kiper had him rated as a first round prospect, but Summers and Collier both worked their way into the professional football conversation through hard work and production.

Banogu finished his senior year with 8.5 sacks, 57 tackles, and 19 TFLs. He was twice named to the All Big 12 team, and was the Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 2017. Summers battled through an injury-shortened season, fighting back to play in two of the Frogs’ three final games, including the Cheez-It Bowl. Summers finished the year 47 tackles, including 6.5 for loss, and added four sacks. The former high school QB finishes his four year career at linebacker as the second-leading tackler of the Gary Patterson era with 318, just 25 short of Travin Howard’s record.

Collier’s story might be the best of all, as the lightly-recruited prospect out of tiny Munday, TX, made himself a national name with his power and strength as a pass rusher. Collier had an impressive senior season playing across from Banogu, finishing with 42 tackles, 11.5 TFLs, and six sacks. A firey player and leader, LJ certainly looks the part of NFL pass rusher, as the first team All Big 12 selection simply overwhelmed college offensive linemen with his sheer power and a variety of rush moves.

The NFL Combine takes places over the course of several days, beginning on Tuesday February 26th and running through Monday March 4th. All events take place in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium, the home of the Colts.

Congratulations to these former Frogs!