TCU’s Offensive MVP:
- Anthony: It’s easy to say the quarterback is the most important player on a football team, but the correct answer here is Josh Hoover. Can he do better than the best passing season in TCU history and become the first ever to surpass 4,000 yards? How does he run it back with his top three receivers now in the NFL? Can he eliminate the abundance of turnovers? Will he add any element of a running game to his repertoire? If Hoover is able to answer these questions, he can lead the Horned Frogs to a super season as the standout of an explosive attack.
- Austin: It’s almost impossible not to go with Josh Hoover. The redshirt junior amassed 3,949 passing yards and 27 touchdowns a year ago following a mediocre redshirt freshman campaign. Jack Bech and Savion Williams were byproducts of Hoover’s aerial prowess, each being selected in the top 100 in the NFL Draft. Thus, a wildcard Offensive MVP could very well end up being wide receiver Eric McAlister, the Horned Frogs’ third-leading receiver a season ago. Nonetheless, even if McAlister surpasses the 1,000-yard mark and catches 10-plus scores, Hoover will be the one behind McAlister’s hypothetical success.
- Caleb: Quarterback is inarguably the highest position of consequence in today’s form of college football, and with that Josh Hoover is the low hanging fruit of MVP discussion. His stats have popped off the sheet since his debut against BYU in 2023, but the continuity formed by a 3rd year starter at QB is a treasure that most teams don’t sniff. The team recognizes that he turned down a bag from Tennessee to be in Fort Worth and will rally behind his near 4000-yard arm talent for a more balanced offensive output in 2025.
- Drew: Josh Hoover is the clear answer here. With the Frogs losing three NFL caliber wide receivers this offseason, Hoover needs to continue to improve for the Frog offense to stay on pace with where it was last season. Hoover should be helped out be an improved running game and a more experienced offensive line, but Hoover’s performance will set the ceiling for the offense and likely the team this season. I think Hoover is the best pure passer that TCU has had in some time and I expect him to take a step forward in terms of ball security this season while still putting up big passing yard and touchdown totals for the Frogs.
- Russ: This will likely be unanimous across the FOW board, but Josh Hoover should be the offensive MVP this season. Frankly, I also believe he NEEDS to be the offensive MVP if the Horned Frogs hope to follow their 9-4 season in 2024 with another 9-10 win season in 2025. After setting TCU’s single-season passing yards record last season, Hoover will have to operate without three NFL receivers in Jack Bech, Savion Williams and JP Richardson. While Hoover will have a top target returning in Eric McAlister, he’ll need to take another step forward if TCU has any chance of competing for a Big 12 championship.
TCU’s Defensive MVP:
- Anthony: Safety Jamel Johnson. While his running mate Bud Clark gets the preseason All-Conference accolades and the elite CFB26 rating, Johnson is going to emerge as the standout from the veteran-laden defense. His 73 tackles in 2024 ranked third on the squad and he returns for his third season in Fort Worth after briefly testing the transfer portal in December. Bringing the Arlington native back is a huge boost to the TCU secondary while also providing major run support, an area where the defense ranked among the worst in the Big 12 last season.
- Austin: While Jamel Johnson and Bud Clark form a daunting duo in the secondary, we’ll turn our attention toward the trenches. Each of TCU’s most recent 10-plus-win teams featured a player who recorded at least 10 sacks. Mat Boesen in 2017 and Dylan Horton in 2022. Since Horton’s 10.5 sack season in 2022, the Horned Frogs haven’t seen a player surpass six sacks. However, the next player to reach double-digits could be on the roster. That’s Devean Deal, who notched 5.5 quarterback takedowns in his first season in Fort Worth. If Deal gets after the passer, surpassing the double-digit mark, he’ll be a shoo-in for Defensive MVP.
- Caleb: My heart wants me to pick Devean Deal due to my love for niche hybrid defensive positions that allow players to leverage their strengths, but my head tells me that Bud Clark is the straw that stirs the drink. Pass rush and coverage are typically chicken & egg when it comes defending the pass well and the Frogs secondary is the strength of their defense. With Clark dominating last year (top 10 in PFF grade among all safeties) playing more Free/High instead of in the box like he did under Joe Gillespie, I expect him to elevate the surrounding position groups and give players like Deal, Oyewale, & Bax more time to get after the QB.
- Drew: I’ll go with a player that may not jump off the stat sheet this season with big tackle numbers or sack totals, but will be incredibly important to the defense in defensive tackle Markis Deal. TCU’s biggest weakness on the defensive side of the ball last season was an inability to stop the run. However, the run defense was much better with Deal in the starting lineup. TCU has solid athleticism at the linebacker position and if Deal can control the line of scrimmage and keep TCU linebackers clean to make plays, the TCU defense will be one of the best in the conference in 2025.
- Russ: Bud Clark is the best returning player on TCU’s defense and I fully expect him to not only have another strong campaign, but plant himself firmly on NFL radars this season. The Horned Frogs struggled against the run in 2023 and 2024, but TCU has fared well against the pass in both of those years. I expect TCU’s success in pass coverage to remain this year and I believe Clark will play a big role in that.
TCU’s Newcomer of the Year:
- Anthony: Offensive Lineman Cade Bennett. Ok fine, this is cheating a bit because the 6-foot-4, 305-pound beast in the trenches joined the Horned Frogs ahead of the 2024 season after transferring from San Diego State. However, a preseason injury prevented him from seeing the field for TCU last season, so the first glimpse of the two-time All-Mountain West guard will be the 2025 season opener in Chapel Hill. Protecting Josh Hoover is paramount to TCU’s success, as is creating some room for the struggling run game to get rolling; Bennett is the key to achieving those goals.
- Austin: Jordan Dwyer. The Horned Frogs lost 179 receptions and 2,378 yards with Bech, Williams, and JP Richardson taking their talents to the NFL. The trio placed in the top four on the Frogs in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. With plenty of available targets up for grabs, Idaho transfer Jordan Dwyer, in addition to McAlister, looks poised to be one of Hoover’s go-to receivers. The former Vandal recorded 78 receptions for 1,192 yards and 12 touchdowns in his junior campaign. He joins one of the Big 12’s better offenses and will strive to make life easier for Hoover.
- Caleb: Ryan Hughes snuck his way into the lineup during TCU’s hot streak to end 2024 and hasn’t relinquished his spot as starting Left Tackle since. Prior to completing Spring & Fall camp as the starter, he managed a 62% PFF grade in 131 snaps as he supplanted 6th-year Senior Bless Harris as Hoover’s blindside protector. If that’s what he was able to pull in his first semester on campus, I predict the 6’6”, 315 lb. RS-FR is in for a significant increase in workload and he’ll prove up to the task.
- Drew: UTSA transfer running back Kevorian Barnes. Barnes’s commitment to TCU went a bit under the radar this offseason as he had a slow 2024 season where he battled through injuries and struggled behind a lacking UTSA offensive line. However, Barnes has had an excellent fall camp and was a star for the Roadrunners when healthy in 2022 and 2023. For a team looking for an improvement in the running game, the addition of a veteran running back with a violent running style could be huge.
- Russ: Kylin Jackson from LSU. TCU lost Abe Camara to the NFL and will need a new player to emerge at the nickel position, a critical position in the Andy Avalos scheme. Jackson was one of the best transfer portal additions for the Horned Frogs and brings plenty of size to the secondary at 6 feet 3 inches. From everything I’ve read about fall camp (a big shout to Steven Johnson with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram), Jackson has made a strong impression on the coaches and could be in line to start at the nickel position.
TCU’s Under-the-Radar X-Factor:
- Anthony: WR Joseph Manjack IV. Eric McAlister is the All-American candidate and Jordan Dwyer is the headline elite transfer, but look for Manjack to play a key role in the success of the TCU offense this fall. Coming over from the Houston Cougars, the fifth-year senior caught 76% of his targets in 2024 at over 12 yards per target. He’ll become a favorite sure-handed target for QB Josh Hoover out of the slot. Even if he is unlikely to fully replicate the production of JP Richardson and Jack Bech, Manjack will be a major piece of the puzzle.
- Austin: With under-the-radar comes the offensive line. Not just TCU’s, but any offensive line in general is typically unheralded. Instead of anointing all five of the Frogs’ big uglies up front, we’ll go with projected starting left tackle, redshirt freshman Ryan Hughes. Hughes will be subject to some of the best rushers in the nation and will be held responsible for protecting Hoover’s blind spot. A lot is riding on Hughes, and praise won’t come nearly as often when the 6-foot-6 tackle keeps his quarterback’s jersey clean.
- Caleb: The nature of the defensive tackle position is quite thankless but many agree that a healthy Markis Deal would have turned the tides against Baylor last year. If the Frogs are going to improve in run defense like they need to, the younger Deal brother will need to stay healthy. You can count on one hand how many DT’s in America can match his explosiveness, especially given his size at 6’5”, 325 lbs. With Deal in the middle absorbing double teams, it frees up the edges to pass rush & clogs the lanes RBs are looking to bounce off of.
- Drew: CB Avery Helm. Helm had a solid 2023 season before suffering a season ending injury in camp before 2024 leading to a lack of depth at cornerback for the Frogs last season. Helm has the size and athleticism to be a lockdown corner and if he is able to tap into that potential, the TCU secondary could be a very formidable unit with Helm on the outside and Bud Clark and Jamel Johnson roaming the middle of the field.
- Russ: Kaleb Elarms-Orr will be stepping into a starting role at the inside linebacker position, where he’ll play opposite veteran starter Namdi Obiazor. A former All-Pac 12 player, Elarms-Orr played in all 13 games last season and had a nice performance in the New Mexico Bowl against Louisiana. Now a senior, Elarms-Orr is filling the shoes of a two-time All-Big 12 linebacker in Johnny Hodges, who departed for the NFL after the 2024 season. I think Elarms-Orr is capable of finishing in the top 3 in tackles, TFLs and sacks.
Most anticipated TCU game:
- Anthony: SMU at Amon G. Carter Stadium on September 20. The Ponies are riding high under Rhett Lashlee, coming off an appearance in the College Football Playoff in the first season as a member of the ACC. The 2024 showdown in Dallas was an embarrassing comedy of errors for the Horned Frogs as TCU got outclassed in every phase of the game and head coach Sonny Dykes was ejected. Now the last Battle for the Iron Skillet on the books, the metroplex rivals fight for the right to hold bragging rights for the foreseeable future. Each team has a marquee non-conference game ahead of this one and if this is a match up of undefeated teams, both will be ranked, headlining the national slate for the week.
- Austin: This season offers no shortage of marquee matchups. The Iron Skillet clash with No. 16 SMU promises intensity, the Friday night trip to Tempe to face Arizona State should deliver plenty of fireworks, and a home date with Baylor is always a treat. However, traveling to Manhattan, Kansas, to take on the Wildcats in October has the makings of a classic back-and-forth affair. The Horned Frogs have lost five of their last six against the Wildcats. Yet, all but two losses have been one-score games.
- Caleb: Last year TCU was downright embarrassed in Dallas, to the point that Sonny Dykes delivered ejection-worthy antics to the referee staff. While I sympathize with him in that moment, revenge is a dish best served hot, in the middle of a gridiron, in Fort Worth, TX. Me and my homies hate SMU, and it’s not lost on the Frogs that they had to watch SMU’s playoff run from the couch (and begrudgingly, I did too). Frogs fans are eager to get the Skillet back in Week 3 & I imagine SMU isn’t too keen on giving it up.
- Drew: The Baylor game in Fort Worth on October 18th. Both teams are in a similar spot heading into this season with returning quarterbacks that fans feel are underrated and teams that got hot down the stretch in 2024. Both fanbases are consequently expecting a step forward from their teams in 2025 and rivalry wins go a long way toward meeting expectations. After last year’s heartbreaking loss in Waco and this season feeling like a monumental year for both programs, this rivalry game will be very important for the Frogs.
- Russ:
TCU’s regular season record:
- Anthony: 8-4. It’s quite possible TCU is a much better team in 2025 than it was in 2024, but it won’t show in the win-loss record due to a much more difficult schedule. Frogs could start 2-4 before running the table and falling just short of the Big 12 Championship.
- Austin: 9-3. The Horned Frogs suffer three losses in the regular season. TCU loses to Arizona State, Kansas State, and BYU in a late-season trap game.
- Caleb: 9-3. I remember a day when we were clamoring for the Big 12 to have more parity to give our schools more intrigue in CFP discussions, now it’s here and everyone’s getting beaten to death. I think the Frogs drop 3 in the regular season and still make it the Big 12 Championship game in Arlington.
- Drew: 9-3. I think this year’s roster is more well rounded than last year’s roster, but the schedule appears much tougher for the Frogs this season. If the Frogs make it through the first four weeks unscathed I could easily see 10 wins as a possibility but SMU and on the road against Arizona State will be two very tough games.
- Russ: It feels like 8-4 is the conservative pick here. Seven wins or less would be considered a failure in my eyes, whereas nine (preferably) 10 wins would be considered a success. TCU has a tougher conference slate in 2025, as the Horned Frogs have to face West Virginia in Morgantown in addition to playing two CFP qualifiers from 2024 (SMU and Arizona State). Kansas State, Baylor and Iowa State are on TCU’s schedule as well and I expect all three of these teams to be successful. Add in the unknown of facing North Carolina (in Bill Belichick’s collegiate coaching debut) and there are a lot of things that could go wrong (and right) for the Horned Frogs in 2025.
TCU’s Bowl Game (if any):
- Anthony: Texas Bowl vs. Texas A&M. The old Southwest Conference rivals meet for the first time since the 2001 Galleryfurniture.com Bowl. Aggie fans are very mad they are left out of the Playoff despite losing to every above-average team on their schedule; Frogs win in a blow out.
- Austin: The infamous Pop-Tarts Bowl. Although not technically infamous because of intriguing matchups (even though last year was a fun one), the Horned Frogs will match up against the Louisville Cardinals for the first time in over 20 years.
- Caleb: I would love to see the Frogs get into a bowl with a bit like Pop Tarts or Duke’s Mayo, but the auto-bids tell me that The Alamo Bowl (I remember) or the Texas Bowl are on the horizon.
- Drew: I’ll take the Pop-Tart Bowl against Miami who I think loses in the ACC Championship game and is left out of the playoffs.
- Russ: Texas Bowl. TCU gets rewarded for playing well against a tough schedule and doesn’t get left out of the shuffle the way it was last season. I’d take any SEC opponent but a matchup with Texas A&M would draw a lot of eyes. Should TCU outperform expectations but fall short of the playoff, then I’d love to see a return to the Alamo Bowl, where the Horned Frogs have scored wins against Stanford and Oregon.
Big 12 Championship matchup & winner:
- Anthony: Kansas State defeats Baylor. I hate myself and maybe this is a form of attempted reverse-jinx, but I just see this as the most likely matchup. Now with a year under his belt as the fulltime starter, Avery Johnson is ready to fulfill the promise as Manhattan’s chosen son and bring the Wildcats to the Playoff promised land. As for Baylor, the Bears have potentially the league’s best offense while Dave Aranda has gotten his defensive mojo back. Both teams make the CFP as Baylor will build a strong resume with non-con wins over Auburn & SMU. TCU, Utah, ASU, and TTU each are in the hunt in the stretch run, but fall short of Arlington.
- Austin: Kansas State defeats Texas Tech. Sans for a funky 2020 season, the Wildcats have enjoyed eight-win seasons every season under Chris Klieman. This year will be no different with Avery Johnson under center, Dylan Edwards at running back, and a strong defense with a myriad of returnees. The Red Raiders are far more of a wild card. Texas Tech hasn’t surpassed the nine-win mark since Mike Leach was in charge—2009 to be exact. Nonetheless, the Red Raiders boasted the second-best transfer class and will finally see some continuity at quarterback with Behren Morton solidified as the starter.
- Caleb: Your Texas Christian Horned Frogs defeat the Sun Devils of Arizona State. After dropping the regular season matchup on a short week, I think the Frogs bounce around conference play and wander into Jerry World with revenge on their mind. It’s hard to beat the same team twice, as TCU get’s the last pre-bowl season laugh.
- Drew: Arizona State defeats Utah. I think Utah is getting overlooked after an injury riddled 2024 season and I think Devon Dampier will be very good at quarterback for the Utes. Jordan Tyson is a star at wide receiver for Arizona State and while the loss of Cam Skattebo hurts, I think the Sun Devils repeat with a big year from Sam Leavitt.
- Russ: Kansas State defeats Iowa State. Months after Farmageddon overseas, the Wildcats and Cyclones reunite for the rematch for the conference championship. Avery Johnson will be a candidate for the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and Dylan Edwards brings a dynamic element to the KSU backfield.
National Championship matchup & winner:
- Anthony: Penn State defeats Clemson. While talent acquisition get the juicy headlines and can get teams into the dance, it is talent retention that wins championships. These two teams feature top-flight returning QBs, elite skill talent, and defensive superstars, each with a roster built for a sustained deep Playoff run. Perhaps the ultimate ceiling is higher for Texas, Ohio State, or Alabama if all the pieces fit perfectly, but the Tigers & Nittany Lions are already there. The Big Ten picks up a third straight Title, each to a different program, officially taking the crown from SEC as the sport’s premier league with the SEC left out of the National Championship game for a third straight season.
- Austin: Texas defeats Penn State. The Longhorns have transformed into one of the most prolific teams in college football over the last few seasons and will capitalize on their success in 2026. After three consecutive 10-plus win seasons, the Nittany Lions finally advance to the national championship behind Drew Allar, a terrific ground game, and a stellar defense. Nonetheless, for the second straight season, Penn State doesn’t pull off the ultimate success in the College Football Playoff.
- Caleb: Texas defeats Clemson. As far as high-profile schools go, Texas has quite the talent pool of returning production. I think Dabo and Klubnik put together a wild ride that demolishes the ACC en route to the recruiting who’s who that makes up Texas’ roster. Arch Manning & Colin Simmons start dueling Heisman campaigns after crushing title belt holder Ohio State next weekend and domination ensues all the way to confetti & parades in Miami.
- Drew: Clemson defeats Ohio State. Cade Klubnik appears primed for a huge season and I think Dabo will have the Clemson defense humming after using the transfer portal for the first time ever this offseason. Ohio State remains loaded with talent but with a first year starting quarterback, I have the Tigers taking down the Buckeyes in an instant classic.
- Russ: Texas defeats Ohio State. Arch Manning guides the Longhorns to the promised land in his first season as the starting quarterback, while the Buckeyes return to the national championship game after taking home the crown last season. Penn State could definitely make the finals, but the Nittany Lions have notoriously fallen short in big games during James Franklin’s tenure in Happy Valley. Ohio State rosters arguably the best offensive player in college football (Jeremiah Smith) and the best defensive player in college football (Caleb Downs).
