TCU’s 2026 season opener is getting closer, and the Countdown to Kickoff has reached No. 2 with a familiar name from Horned Frog history: Trevone Boykin.
Boykin was a starter for all four years of his college career and appeared in 48 games, finishing as one of the most productive quarterbacks in TCU history. He piled up 10,728 passing yards and 86 passing touchdowns, while also adding 2,049 rushing yards and 27 rushing scores.
His path to the starting job began in 2012, when Casey Pachall was suspended from and ultimately left the program before returning in 2013. Boykin stepped in that season and guided TCU to the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, then split time with Pachall during his sophomore year in 2013.
The biggest jump came as a junior. Boykin threw for a career-best 3,901 yards and 33 touchdowns, and he also ran for a career-high 707 yards and eight touchdowns.
That season brought a long list of honors: Second-Team All-American consideration, the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, a fourth-place finish in Heisman Trophy voting and finalist nods for the Davey O’Brien Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and Manning Award. He was also named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, MVP of TCU’s Peach Bowl win over Ole Miss and TCU’s Dan Rogers Team MVP.
The Horned Frogs went 12-1 and shared the Big 12 title with Baylor, the program’s first Big 12 championship.
As a senior, Boykin added 3,575 passing yards and 31 touchdowns, plus 612 rushing yards and 10 scores. That season put him among just eight FBS quarterbacks at the time to top 10,000 passing yards and 1,500 rushing yards for a career.
He drew All-American consideration again and was a finalist for multiple awards as TCU finished 11-2 and beat Oregon in the Alamo Bowl. Boykin did not play in that game after an arrest following a bar fight two days earlier.
Boykin signed with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2016 and spent time as the backup to Russell Wilson. He appeared in five NFL games and threw one touchdown pass before the Seahawks released him in 2018 after an arrest on domestic violence charges. He later pled guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison.
After his release, Boykin returned to football in Mexico. He played for the Galgos de Tijuana of the Liga de Futbol Americano Profesional in 2023 and led the league in passing touchdowns. In 2025, he signed with the Dinos de Saltillo.
In Other News...
Sonny Dykes Finally Addressed The TCU Incident That Changed The Roster
TCUs buildup to its trip to Ireland carried an unexpected off-field wrinkle when a locker room altercation involving safety Jacob Fields and wide receiver Dozie Ezukanma forced the program to deal with a situation no coach wants to explain. Fields was dismissed from the team in the aftermath, and Ezukanma did not travel with the Horned Frogs, leaving Sonny Dykes to manage the football fallout while also trying to keep the focus on the season ahead.
Dykes said the incident was out of character and framed the team as resilient enough to move forward, but the episode still altered the roster in a meaningful way. For TCU, the bigger question now is less about the confrontation itself than how quickly the Horned Frogs can settle back into a normal rhythm after a disruption that reached well beyond the locker room. [Read more 🡒]
Bill Belichick Just Added A Major Twist To UNC's TCU Test
North Carolinas trip to face TCU is already getting an early-season layer of intrigue, and now the Tar Heels are leaning even more heavily on Bill Belichicks game-day influence. With defensive coordinator Steve Belichick still on medical leave, the staff has spent the buildup working together on the plan, with defensive line coach Bob Diaco helping lead the effort. The arrangement was set in motion after Steve Belichicks leave was announced Aug. 6, and the team has yet to offer a timeline or further details.
For TCU, the bigger immediate takeaway is simple: the matchup now comes with Bill Belichick taking over defensive play-calling duties for North Carolina on game day. Even with the collaborative preparation behind him, the change puts a new wrinkle on how the Tar Heels will present themselves on the sideline and on the field. It also adds another layer of uncertainty for an opener that was already going to draw plenty of attention. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Opens With A New Offensive Twist In Dublin Weather
TCU landed in Dublin with a different look on offense and a setting that could make the opener feel even more unfamiliar. Jaden Craig, the Harvard transfer, is set to make his first start at quarterback after Josh Hoover moved on to Indiana, giving the Horned Frogs a new face at the position as they get ready for North Carolina.
The bigger question may be how quickly TCU settles into Gordon Sammis zone-run approach and how smoothly it fits with Sonny Dykes air raid roots. Add in the possibility of rain and cooler conditions on game day, and the opener could test more than just a new quarterback. It may also offer the first real glimpse of how adaptable this offense can be when the weather and the opponent both change the feel of the game. [Read more 🡒]