By the time TCU lines up for its second game, two full weeks will have passed since the Horned Frogs opened with a loss to North Carolina in Ireland. That stretch has given the program time to work, reset and sort through a lot of the same questions fans have been asking since that first game.
And with Grambling next on the schedule, the matchup looks like the kind of tune-up TCU needs - a chance to show more than it did in Dublin and maybe settle a few things along the way.
The biggest question still centers on Jaden Craig. His outing against UNC looked, to me, like an outlier rather than the version of him TCU saw in camp.
During practice, he looked sharp. He pushed the ball downfield, took deep shots when they were there, used his legs and threw with real confidence in the intermediate game.
He was the best-looking quarterback in camp, which is why the opener was so puzzling. The game seemed to move too fast at times, and he got caught up in it. Even so, I still think he’s a good quarterback - and Grambling is exactly the kind of game where he needs to answer back.
He should have a strong showing, and that could be the start of something that builds week by week.
The defense had its own early issues, but it settled in after a shaky start. Max Carroll stood out, and his time learning under Kaleb Elarms-Orr showed up in the way he played. He looks like the No. 1 on that defense, and the expectation is that he’ll keep getting stronger as the season goes on.
The bigger unknown was who would line up next to him and how that group would hold up. The new depth chart gave one answer: Hudson Hooper moves into a bigger role, and he should handle it well.
He flashed during camp. Michael Short and Michael Teason also looked like viable options.
There are still real questions about how high that group can climb, but week zero was a step in the right direction.
Inside the program, the practices leading into this week were described as especially physical, with the intensity pushed a little harder than usual for this point in the season. It had more of an extended-fall-camp feel to it.
TCU also tinkered with its offensive line during the week, though none of those changes are expected to stick. The Horned Frogs should roll with the same group they used in week zero.
Still, the same issue remains: what shows up in practice, and what actually carries over on game day? That’s the real test.
If Craig doesn’t take a step forward, the conversation could eventually shift. Schobel might see snaps later in the year if TCU starts looking ahead to next season and has little left to play for in this one.
For now, though, I’d expect to see Schobel over the next few weeks because blowouts should give backups a chance to get meaningful game reps. I don’t expect him to start anytime soon, if at all.
Freshman Jack Daulton is another name to watch. He impressed during camp and worked with the second team, and with no more redshirting in college football, there’s a good chance he gets into a game at some point.
As for Craig, there were chances in the opener to take off and run. He said after the game that he regretted not using his legs when he had the chance. Against a North Carolina front that kept eyeing Jeremy Payne on the ground and reacting to the run game, QB options, reads and scrambles would have made sense.
That’s why I’d expect to see Craig run more this week. He has the green light from the coaching staff, and designed runs could help him get rolling. At this point, anything that sparks the offense would help.
In Other News...
TCU Faces A Big Home Opener Question At Wide Receiver
TCU heads into its home opener against Grambling State already knowing it will be without senior edge rusher Zach Chapman, a notable absence on a defense that will be looking to settle in early. The bigger question, though, sits on the other side of the ball. Senior wide receiver Jordan Dwyer is still questionable with a foot injury, and his availability remains one of the key items to watch as the Horned Frogs finish their preparation for Saturday.
Sonny Dykes has already started mapping out receiver options if Dwyer cannot go, which gives the offense some clarity even if the depth chart is still fluid. For TCU, the uncertainty at wideout is less about one game than about how quickly the passing game can find its rhythm in the season's first home start, especially if one of its senior targets is sidelined. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Depth Chart Just Raised New Questions Before Grambling State
TCUs depth chart for the Grambling State game offered the kind of early-season snapshot coaches use to set the tone, but it also came with a few fresh wrinkles. Receiver Jordan Dwyer, who had been listed as questionable, is now penciled in as a starter, while the defense has a notable new layer with edge rusher Zach Chapman back in the mix after missing both spring and fall camp.
The chart also suggests more than a few spots are still up for grabs, with competition showing up along the offensive line, at linebacker, safety, nickel and kicker. For a program trying to sort out its rotation while still separating the week-to-week starters from the next wave of contributors, it is the kind of release that answers one question and opens several more. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Faces One Early Stretch That Could Test The Frogs Fast
The next month on TCUs schedule should tell a lot about how quickly the Horned Frogs can settle in this fall. Grambling State and Arkansas State look like the kind of games a program expects to handle at home, but the conversation changes fast once the Frogs move into a run that also includes UCF and BYU. It is the kind of stretch that can lull a team into feeling comfortable before the real questions start arriving, especially when trap-game chatter is already part of the backdrop.
UCF and BYU are the matchups that give the slate its edge, and Baylors recent games offer a useful measuring point for what those opponents can look like. The concern for TCU is not just talent level, but timing and mindset, with the tougher tests landing after the opening pair of expected wins. BYU, in particular, still carries the memory of last seasons lopsided result against the Frogs, which is why this early run feels less like a warmup than a first real chance to see what TCU has under it. [Read more 🡒]