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2020 TCU Football Preview: Offensive Line

The Horned Frogs have three holes to fill in the trenches after Lucas Niang, Anthony McKinney and Cordel Iwuagwu all found new homes in the NFL.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 21 SMU at TCU Photo by Andrew Dieb/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

An experienced offensive line can do wonders for a football team, but the Horned Frogs will be reloading in the trenches this fall after losing three starters from 2019 including third-round draft pick Lucas Niang.

Niang, who was selected in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, headlines a trio of offensive linemen who found new homes recently, with left tackle Anthony McKinney and left guard Cordel Iwuagwu signing UDFA contracts in Tennessee and Houston, respectively. TCU will also lose versatile lineman David Bolisomi, who began the season starting at right guard before kicking out to right tackle when Niang exited the lineup with an injury.

TCU has become an O-Line-U in recent seasons, and as the Horned Frogs prepare for the 2020 season, many eyes will be on the team’s two returning starters: Coy McMillon and Austin Myers. McMillon earned the starting center position in 2019 and went on to start all 12 games for TCU. Moreover, he was one of only two Horned Frog offensive lineman to stay the entire season at his position. At 6 feet 4 inches and 280 pounds, the redshirt junior has great size for the center position, and his experience could bode well for sophomore quarterback Max Duggan, who will likely be under center for the Horned Frogs once again.

Myers filled multiple roles for TCU throughout the 2018 and 2019 seasons. A redshirt senior for the Horned Frogs, Myers has started 13 games over the last two years, with four starts at left guard and all four of his starts this past year coming at right guard. At 6 feet 5 inches, Myers has the length to step outside and play tackle, but his recent experience at guard could come into play in 2020. Regardless, expect Myers to be in the starting lineup when TCU kicks off this fall.

The Horned Frogs made headlines this spring when Colorado State graduate transfer T.J. Storment chose TCU. According to Jeremy Clark of 247Sports, the 6-foot-7, 320-pound left tackle had originally planned on playing for Purdue before a last-minute offer and phone call from head coach Gary Patterson swayed Storment to play for the Horned Frogs. Storment started 12 games at left tackle for the Rams this past season, and his experience makes him an early favorite to potentially land the starting left tackle position.

With Iwuagwu heading to the Texans, TCU will need a new starter at left guard. Redshirt senior Kellton Hollins was listed as a reserve at the position in 2019, and the Horned Frogs could keep redshirt junior Quazzel White inside as well. White started three games this past season, with two starts coming at right guard and one at left tackle. Moreover, Myers is another player with experience at left guard who could slide over for TCU.

If Myers doesn’t open the 2020 season as the starting right guard, TCU will have multiple options to consider including White and redshirt junior Wes Harris, who started five games at the position during the 2018 season. The 6-foot-4, 295-pounder was limited to two appearances this past year due to injury.

Finally, TCU will need to address its biggest loss, which comes at right tackle. With the losses of Bolisomi and Niang, the Horned Frogs will need a potentially unproven player to step up this fall. One player to watch for will be redshirt freshman Andrew Coker, who’s 6-foot-7 frame would be welcomed to anchor one side of the offensive line. Another player who could emerge is JUCO transfer Brandon Coleman, who stands 6 feet 6 inches and arrives on campus as a three-star recruit.