As TCU’s fall camp keeps rolling, the quarterback room is starting to settle in.
Monday brought one of the cleaner, sharper days yet for starter Jaden Craig and backup Adam Schobel, with both quarterbacks flashing touch, timing and enough big throws to stand out in a practice that also had its share of defensive answers.
Craig, the senior Harvard transfer, looked much more comfortable than he did over the first two days of camp. The passing game as a whole got off to a slow start, but Monday was his best day through the air.
He built early chemistry with sophomore wide receiver Dozie Ezukanma, hitting him multiple times in one team period. On one throw, Craig had solid protection, worked through his reads, climbed the pocket and fired a strike to Ezukanma for roughly 15 yards on an in-breaking route.
He kept it going in 7-on-7 work, finishing 5 of 7 passes. That stretch included several connections with sophomore Ed Small and a strong jump-ball completion to junior tight end Ka’Morreun Pimpton.
Craig’s best sequence came during an 11-on-11 period meant to mimic a two-minute drill. He opened with a first down to Small, then two snaps later found senior Jordan Dwyer for a touchdown of at least 50 yards. The play started with a comeback route for about 15 yards, and Dwyer then slipped a tackle and sprinted the rest of the way to the end zone.
Schobel, a redshirt freshman, had his own highlight reel moments. He connected with junior tight end Kari Ashley on a post route for a touchdown of at least 50 yards, and later delivered a tight-window throw to redshirt freshman Dane Jones for another chunk gain. Jones and Schobel have shown particularly strong chemistry during camp, which is part of why Jones could challenge Small and senior Major Everhart at slot receiver.
Cornerbacks coach Benny Boyd said the receivers “battled back” after the secondary had the upper hand earlier in camp.
“We had a couple good days, they’ve had a couple good days,” Boyd said. “I think that’s what you want when you’re in camp getting ready for another opponent. I’m excited about what challenges our offense presents and how we rise to them.”
The offense had its bright spots, but the defense was hardly sitting back.
Craig came close to being intercepted twice, once by senior safety Jacob Fields and once by junior cornerback Vernon Glover. Fields made a strong play by jumping a vertical route, while Glover’s near-pick came after Craig tried to force a play instead of getting out of bounds or throwing it away.
There was also a fumbled snap, along with multiple run plays that were stuffed in the backfield by senior defensive tackle Ansel Din-Mbuh and junior linebacker Max Carroll.
Schobel nearly threw a pick of his own, too, with senior cornerback Teon Parks dropping what looked like an easy interception. He also narrowly missed Jones deep on a vertical route after putting too much heat on the throw. Schobel has shown the boom-or-bust side of a second-year quarterback throughout camp, mixing impressive completions with moments of shaky placement or decision-making.
Even so, the overall direction for Craig, Schobel and the offense has been positive, and the defense is getting valuable work against all the movement and variety TCU is building into the system.
“Man they do a good job. They make you defend 53 and a third,” Boyd said, referring to the width of the field.
“They do some creative things to hide some of the things they like to do. There’s a physicality that they play with that I really, really appreciate.
Our receivers block hard. ... I felt like our receivers got the better of us today in the blocking aspect.”
TCU has been layering in more wrinkles as Craig and Schobel grow more comfortable, including three-tight-end sets, under-center looks and shifts that move the offense from a single-back formation into shotgun. That constant motion is helping create cleaner passing lanes for the quarterbacks, while also giving the defense a demanding test ahead of the Aug. 29 season opener against North Carolina in Ireland.
Linebackers coach Ken Wilson said the variety is exactly what the defense needs.
“They challenge us with formations. They challenge us with tempo.
They challenge us with speed and size,” Wilson said. “They give us a lot of different things.
They give us a lot of motions, adjustments, and that’s fantastic because we would rather practice those on a daily basis year-round rather than have to come up against it in a week and have [to] practice it for two days and be right on it.”
Tuesday should bring the first fully padded practice of camp, and that’s expected to be the first real measuring stick for both sides.
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Mike Renfro Still Sets A Standard TCU Receivers Have To Chase
Long before TCU started producing the kind of receivers who expect to be part of a national conversation, Mike Renfro set a standard that still hangs over the program. His college career put him among the Horned Frogs defining pass catchers, with 162 receptions, 2,739 yards and 17 touchdowns, along with multiple All-Southwest Conference honors that helped make him a benchmark for what a TCU wideout could be.
Renfro carried that rsum into the next level after the Houston Oilers drafted him in 1978, and he went on to spend 10 years in the NFL, including six with Houston and four with the Dallas Cowboys. He was Dallas MVP in 1985 and closed his pro career with 323 catches, 4,708 yards and 28 touchdowns, the kind of staying power that explains why his name still comes up whenever TCU receivers are measured against the programs best. [Read more 🡒]