Over 15 recruits took in TCU’s victory over Texas

Moving back above the .500 mark, the TCU Horned Frogs upset the Texas Longhorns, 37-27, on October 26 at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth.

Harassing Longhorns junior quarterback Sam Ehlinger into four interceptions, TCU’s defense came up with enough plays to pull off the upset.

While this is obviously a big win for the 2019 Horned Frogs, it made a strong impression on several top recruiting targets, too.

Here’s a breakdown of the 17 known prospects in attendance.

Of these 17 recruits, five of them were wide receivers - the most of any position.

Headlining this group was Aledo, Texas four-star JoJo Earle, ironically considered a Texas lean. One of the top-25 wide receivers in the 2021 class, Earle is a burner who posted a 4.28 shuttle time at The Opening Regional in March. The Longhorns hold both of Earle’s “Crystal Ball” predictions, but the No. 1 LSU Tigers, No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes and No. 12 Baylor Bears have all extended offers within the last four-and-a-half months.

The second-highest rated wideout of the bunch was Royse City, Texas four-star Ketron Jackson. At 6-foot-1, 180 pounds with strong hands, Jackson is also one of the state’s best in the 200-meter dash in track and field. Thanks largely to the work of their special teams coordinator Jeff Banks, the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide hold the lead in the race for Jackson’s signature.

Joining these two were Lone Star (Frisco, Texas) four-star Marvin Mims, Godley, Texas three-star Brenen Hawkins and Reagan (San Antonio, Texas) junior Stayton Ankrom.

Committed to the Stanford Cardinal since August, Mims was the only one of the 17 recruits to be on his official visit.

Rated as the No. 123 receiver in the 2021 cycle, Hawkins has intriguing size at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds. He hasn’t reported an offer from the Horned Frogs yet, but expect to hear about one soon.

In order for these receivers to be able to possibly make an impact in the future, the offensive line will need to be able to buy the quarterback time to throw. Unfortunately, this has been an issue for freshman quarterback Max Duggan and the boys up front this year; TCU is allowing 2.2 sacks per game, 77th among FBS programs.

On the bright side, three of the prospects at the victory were offensive linemen. A Duncanville product, five-star Savion Byrd is one of the state of Texas’ most coveted juniors. Excelling in pass protection, LSU and Texas are among Byrd’s top schools.

Also a junior, Mansfield Summit’s (Arlington, Texas) Jacoby Jackson was another of the linemen present. The son of former TCU running back Cedric Jackson, the younger Jackson is light on his feet at 6-foot-5.5, 310 pounds. The Horned Frogs hold the edge for this steadily rising prospect due to their family connection, but the Houston Cougars and Kansas Jayhawks have also entered the mix.

The last offensive linemen was Maumelle, Arkansas’ Andrew Chamblee. Only a sophomore, he already holds offers from Arkansas, Tennessee and Virginia Tech, in addition to TCU. A mammoth tackle prospect at 6-foot-7, 310 pounds, the Horned Frogs will have to be ready to battle the hometown Razorbacks for Chamblee.

Rounding out the offensive side of the football, two running backs - 2020 Pearland, Texas four-star Brandon Campbell and Kendre Miller, listed as an athlete out of Mount Enterprise, Texas - and one quarterback, DeSoto, Texas junior Samari Collier, were also in Fort Worth for the game.

One of the most sought after tailbacks in the state, Campbell has reported 27 offers from programs all over the country. Clocked at 4.58 in the 40-yard dash in March, he is currently playing at about 190 pounds, but could easily surpass the 200-mark by the time his graduation rolls around.

While only six of the prospects on-campus are expected to contribute on the defensive side of the football at the collegiate level, the Horned Frogs hosted some potential difference makers.

Teammates of Collier, 2021 four-star pass-rusher Shemar Turner and three-star defensive tackle Byron Murphy (no, not the former Washington Husky) made the trip, too.

Murphy attended a TCU camp in June and picked up his offer the following month. The No. 26 defensive tackle in the class, the Colorado Buffaloes, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Kansas Jayhawks and No. 15 SMU Mustangs have also shown strong interest.

The other defensive end to take in the upset was Hutto, Texas four-star Landyn Watson. Committed to LSU since July 29, Watson is one of the top-15 weak-side defensive ends in the cycle.

The Horned Frogs were on the Watson trail early, extending their offer on June 8, 2018. This would be a difficult flip as he seems to be very interested in life in the Southeastern Conference. In addition to Baton Rouge, Watson also took trips to College Station and Tuscaloosa.

Completing the front seven, two linebackers also took unofficial visits: Juniors D’Marion Alexander (China Spring, Texas) and Terrence Cooks (Shadow Creek - Pearland, Texas).

Despite being listed as one of the top-40 outside linebackers in the 2021 class, Alexander has reported just two offers at the moment, one from Baylor and the other from TCU. The Bears hold both of his “Crystal Ball” projections, but cornerbacks coach Jeremy Modkins is working to change that.

The final prospect in attendance was Manor, Texas safety Devin Lemear. An off-the-grid recruit, Lemear has been working to add size to his 165-pound frame.

On top of these 17 prospects, the Horned Frogs also had three commits back on-campus: Henderson, Texas three-star wide receiver Caleb Medford, Northwest (Justin, Texas) three-star offensive tackle Michael Nichols and Newton, Texas four-star defensive end James Sylvester.

Trying to win consecutive games for the first time since the first two contests of the season, the Horned Frogs will travel to Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater to battle the Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-3) on Saturday at 2:30PM CT on ESPN.