Football: TCU DL Markis Deal named to Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award Preseason Watch List

TCU defensive lineman Markis Deal has been named to the 2023 Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award Preseason Watch List. The award was created in 2018 and is presented annually to the top freshman in college football. Previous winners of the award include Trevor Lawrence (Clemson), Kenneth Gainwell (Memphis), Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama), Brock Bowers (Georgia) and Drake Maye (North Carolina).

Deal arrives in Fort Worth as one of TCU’s most anticipated freshmen this season. The big-time four-star lineman from Garland, Texas was one of the top recruits in the 2023 class for the Horned Frogs, who’re looking to follow up a 13-2 season and a trip to the College Football Playoff National Championship in 2022. The 6-foot-5, 315-pounder could be in line for immediate action this fall as TCU seeks to replace two starters on the defensive line from last season including Terrell Cooper and 2023 NFL Draft selection Dylan Horton.