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TCU Football picked up an experienced member for their offensive line Friday, when fifth year senior Alan Ali chose to follow his former coaching staff across the metroplex and commit to TCU. The former three star recruit, and Fort Worth Timber Creek alum, toyed with going pro before deciding to instead enter the transfer portal and take advantage of a sixth year of eligibility with the new-look Horned Frogs.
Firstly I would like to thank SMU and the entire community from the bottom of my heart. My 5 years at SMU were nothing short of amazing. With that being said I’m excited to announce I will be playing my last season of college football in my hometown of Fort Worth at TCU. #gofrogs pic.twitter.com/HCqjKg8Mga
— Alan Ali (@Alan_Ali76) January 7, 2022
Primarily an interior offensive lineman, Ali started 39 games for the Mustangs, including 23 straight over the past two seasons. The 6’5”, 309 pounder was a Second Team All-AAC selection in 2021 as he played a multitude of positions for the Ponies due to injuries, earning himself an NFLPA Bowl Invite. He made the Rimington Award Watch List in 2020 and has been a member of the AAC All Academic Team three times in his career.
After redshirting his first season on camps — all the way back in 2017 — Ali has been a staple on a solid offensive line for one of the highest-scoring offenses in the country. He has blocked for a bevy of successful quarterbacks and running backs and been a part of a unit that has produced several thousand yard receivers. Now, he arrives in Fort Worth to shore up a unit that has struggled over the last several years and loses a veteran presence in Obinna Eze, who was recently invited to participate in the NFL Combine (though Eze is a tackle).
In Ali, Dykes and co have added another solid piece and a guy who could be a day one starter.