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The exodus continues.
On Saturday, Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star Telegram reported that wide receiver John Stephens was expected to enter the transfer portal on Monday.
TCU football has a fourth WR headed to transfer portal. Told John Stephens Jr. will officially be in portal on Monday.https://t.co/nGZgkH2lMo
— Drew Davison (@drewdavison) November 7, 2020
The junior is the fourth TCU receiver to leave the program this fall, joining Dylan Thomas, Te’vailance Hunt, and Al’Dontre Davis in declaring their intention to transfer.
Additionally, Brandon Bowen has elected to opt out for the remainder of the year.
Stephens, a 6’5” prospect out of Logansport, LA, was a big get in the class of 2018, but never truly broke through on the field. He has just 14 career receptions in 25 games played, including one for five yards this season. The son of a former NFL running back and brother of tennis star Sloane, JSJ was known for his speed as a top prospect in Louisiana but it didn’t translate to success while at TCU. With his measurables, though, he’s likely to get picked up by a solid program and could definitely be successful down the line.
Bowen’s is a sadder story; originally a Baylor commit, the redshirt senior has played in just ten games in his career, battling injuries from the time he arrived on campus. The former four star recruit looked primed to break out in 2020, making the two deep on the depth chart, but played in just one game, recording one tackle against Iowa State, this fall.
The Frogs are very thin at both WR and DT now; with Corey Bethley expected to miss the rest of the season due to an injury suffered prior to the Baylor game, TCU has just seven defensive tackles on the roster — and two are first or second year players. At wide receiver, four transfers means just eight scholarship players remain at the position, and with JD Spielman questionable for this weekend, five of them are in their first or second year with the program. We can expect a heavy dose of Taye Barber, Quentin Johnston, and Blair Conwright against Texas Tech, and may finally see more of Savion Williams the rest of the way. Hopefully this forces the offense’s hands when it comes to using Pro Wells, too.
It’s been a tough season for programs across the country, but TCU has been hit harder than most. The Frogs are down 20 scholarship players since fall camp opened, and have four games left to play.