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TCU News: Football news, baseball moves, and the future of CFB

Lots of sporty things happening this week.

Links Be Informed Blood

Football:

TCU 2020 Player Profile: Mark Jackson | Horned Frog Blitz

The Frogs need him to be impactful.

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF HIM IN 2020?

The Frogs need help getting to the quarterback and Jackson can do that. Although he’s got some great athleticism, the staff isn’t putting too much pressure on him to come in and immediately wreak havoc on opposing offensive lines. Jackson hasn’t had to really put his hand on the ground and rush the quarterback since high school so that will be something he’ll have to get used to doing again. He will compete for a starting defensive end spot, but again the staff isn’t going to call it a failure if he doesn’t start and neither should TCU fans; there will be a learning curve for a different style he was playing for the Sooners.

HOW MUCH WILL HE PLAY?

Although there will be a learning curve, make no mistake, the Frogs didn’t take him just to take him. They do feel he has potential to be a major contributor to the defensive line. Will he have 7-10 sacks on the year; no. But, he can be a guy that makes enough plays to help the others around him; the type of plays that aren’t usually in the stat column. I’m putting him down as a player that will be in the two deep.

Baseball:

Tigers’ Tyler Alexander: Full-time bullpen role envisioned | CBS Sports

Alexander seems primed to play a significant role.

Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said Sunday that he expects Alexander to fill a more traditional bullpen role this season, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

During summer camp, Gardenhire floated the possibility of using Alexander and Michael Fulmer as part of a piggyback tandem for the fourth spot in the rotation while the latter eases back from March 2019 Tommy John surgery, but that plan has seemingly been scrapped. Alexander worked 1.2 innings (22 pitches) in Saturday’s 6-4 win over the Reds, and while he should be available Monday when Fulmer serves as the Tigers’ opening pitcher against the Royals, the lefty likely won’t be tasked with the bulk-relief role.

Around Campus:

TCU Will Not Conduct COVID-19 Test on Every Person Returning to Campus | NBC DFW

TCU’s strategy is being revealed.

TCU will instead, in consultation with the Tarrant County Public Health officials, engage in targeted broader testing of a particular group or building that shows an increase in symptomatic members or occupants.

The school said it believed these broader testing strategies could be used when density is such that accurately identifying close contacts of a COVID-19 positive patient is not possible or when that group or building is identified as a hotspot.

Around College Football:

Will there be college football amid COVID? Former Power 5 AD paints bleak picture | The Star-Telegram

Hyman has been vocal on the matter.

“There is vulnerability both ways on this. It’s why everyone is going to do everything they can to make it work,” Hyman said. “Will this come to fruition and they will have a season? I do think there is a greater chance you won’t have a football season than you do. That doesn’t mean you won’t.

“I ask a lot of people, ‘Do you want your son to play college football?’ No one says yes. I ask, ‘Would you go to the game?’ Right now, there is a lot of reservation. That’s just me talking to people. The ADs want to play, and I do not blame them. You are talking about a lot of money.”

We have arrived at the point on the calendar when conference commissioners, athletic directors and university presidents must decide if they want to press on through the coronavirus concerns in an effort to have a full college football season.