TCU WR Te’vailance Hunt has entered the transfer portal

Well, this sucks.

Sources confirmed Thursday that TCU junior wide receiver Te’vailance Hunt had entered the transfer portal. The four star recruit caught 20 balls as a true freshman, but had just two catches in 2020, as the Horned Frogs’ offense struggles to find an identity and move the football consistently.

Hunt came to the Frogs back in 2018, flipping to TCU from Kansas ahead of his breakout senior campaign. At 6’2” with incredible body control and soft hands, he earned 13 offers out of high school, spurning Oklahoma State, Iowa State, and the Jayhawks to make his way to Fort Worth.

Last year, he looked like he was on a path to become a key cog in the offense, but a slow start In 2020 — by everyone — saw him relegated to an afterthought, and now he joins Dylan Thomas and Al’Dontre Davis in looking for greener pastures and more targets.

This puts a serious strain on the TCU wide receiver corp, which is down three transfers and dealing with an injury to JD Spielman. The emergence of freshmen Quentin Johnston and Blair Conwright certainly eases the sting, but with Pro Wells more likely to play some tight end going forward (after a season-ending injury to Artayvious Lynn), and both Derius Davis (five receptions for 50 yards) and Mikel Barkley (five receptions for 26 yards) yet to find their footing, it’s kind of Taye Barber, the freshmen, and who else(?) out on the edges for Max Duggan and the TCU O.

Might it be John Stephens, Jr time?

Thankfully, Johnston and Conwright look like stars, and have a great rapport with Duggan already. And Barber, once again, is emerging as TCU’s most reliable pass-catcher through four games this season, leading the team with 19 catches so far. Conwright and Johnston have combined for 22.

The news breaks just days ahead of the Horned Frogs’ rivalry matchup with Baylor — a game in which Hunt announced himself a season ago with this ridiculous touchdown catch in OT:

That’s one for the memory banks for sure.

It has been a tough couple of weeks for TCU, who has seen three receivers and a cornerback opt out as well as three players to be declared done for the season due to injury. This is the new world of college football, and it will be up to Gary Patterson and his staff to make it work.

“Next man, up”, as they say.