TCU head coach Sonny Dykes walked away from Saturday’s closed scrimmage with a clearer picture of where his team stands, and he spent nearly 20 minutes laying it out for the media. The conversation touched everything from the physical edge of fall camp to individual players making noise, plus a little outside-the-building chatter in Washington D.C.
One of the biggest themes was how close TCU is to sorting out its depth chart. Dykes said the staff is getting closer to settling on a two-deep, which is the kind of milestone that starts to give a camp shape. That process has played out against the backdrop of a fall camp that’s been up and down, with plenty of back-and-forth along the way.
The Horned Frogs also spent part of camp preparing for North Carolina, and Dykes pointed to the amount of turnover on the Tar Heels’ roster as part of that challenge. Even with that uncertainty, he said TCU has made progress in camp, and he singled out the areas where the team has improved the most over the course of the month.
Physicality came up, too. Dykes addressed the way teams practice now compared with the past, noting that there isn’t as much hitting in fall camp as there used to be. That reality has changed how programs build toward the season, even if the need for toughness and sharp execution never goes away.
At quarterback, Jaden Craig was a major topic. Dykes discussed Craig’s development and the way he’s built rapport with the wide receivers. He also talked about Craig’s ability to protect the football, a key piece of any quarterback’s job as camp winds down.
The ground game was another area that drew praise. Dykes said the rushing attack has improved, and he also spoke about Michael Short’s growth at weakside linebacker. In the same stretch of his comments, he addressed the “perfect run/pass ratio,” and later turned to the secondary, which he said has grown as well.
Beyond the position-by-position updates, Dykes said the staff is looking for ways to be more consistent throughout the season. He also finished by talking about players who have surprised him during fall camp, another sign that Saturday’s scrimmage did more than just add reps - it helped sharpen the picture of who’s emerging.
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