Welcome to the Fierce 40 series of my 2015 College Football Rankings, where I will be counting down the top 40 ranked teams in the NCAA. Today I will be analyzing the TCU Horned Frogs, 2 overall for the 2015 college football season.

I will be releasing one NCAA team preview per day, providing my analysis on each team in the top 40 rankings. There will be a focus on every key area of each college football team, thereby determining my overall ranking, with an emphasis on future NFL Draft prospects. Stay tuned.

Previous articles in the Fierce 40 college football rankings series can be found here.

#2 TCU Horned Frogs

2014 Recap:

Only one loss on their resume, a game they gave away against Baylor 61-58. That was all that stood between TCU and getting to the College Football Playoff. Had TCU won that game the team that likely would not have qualified was Ohio State and they won the title. Not having the title game in the Big 12 hurt as Baylor, like TCU, had only 1 conference loss. Many felt TCU was the better team but saw Baylor as more of a conference champion having won head-to-head. Regardless, the amount of returning talent is staggering for TCU.

Coaching:

It looked rocky for TCU the first few years in the Big 12, but boy how times have changed. It seemed like expectations were there for the Horned Frogs, and the one year they didn’t have the hype in the preseason, they delivered. The offense was ranked #5 overall and second in scoring only to conference foe Baylor. Doug Meachem and Sonny Cumbie lead the offense while the #18 defense is led by Chad Glascow and DeMontie Cross.

Offensive Analsys

Quarterbacks/Running Backs:

Trevone Boykin may not have the pedigree or is projected to be as successful in the pros as some of his counterparts, but he could walk away with the Heisman Trophy. Boykin threw for nearly 4,000 yards and 33 touchdowns, and we haven’t even touched upon his rushing yards or how many times he got into the end zone on the ground. Aaron Brown is a capable runner who can be punishing running the ball in the interior and wearing out a defense.

Best Draft Prospect: Trevone Boykin QB 5th Round 2016.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends:

The top four options are back at wide receiver, so Boykin has a lot to work with. Josh Doctson should catch about twice as many balls as his receiving mates, but the remaining work will be spread equally between Kolby Listenbee, Ty Sianina and Deante Gray. You won’t see TCU using the traditional tight end, as many of their sets have four wide receivers as they run the ball effectively through the spread offense.

Best Draft Prospect: Josh Doctson WR 3rd Round 2016.

Offensive Line:

The aspect that gets overlooked about TCU often is how well prepared and versatile the line has become. Right tackle Joseph Noteboom is the notorious player not only for the line, but the offense in general as he is the only player that is not a returning starter. The points should come early and often, as the Horned Frogs will make an effort to keep many of their plays right up the middle or along the line side behind tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai and guard Jamelle Naff. Center Joey Hunt will get some looks by the NFL and will certainly be a priority free agent signing with a team if he isn’t drafted outright.

Best Draft Prospect: Halapoulivaati Vaitai OT 4th Round 2016.

Defensive Analysis

Defensive Line:

Losing Chucky Hunter up front is a bit of a challenge, but Davion Pierson should offer plenty of support. Josh caraway added some muscle and size in the offseason, and TCU has been happy with his play since spring ball. Chris Bradley and Mike Tuana should add some depth and could produce bigger numbers, as teams may be more prone to attack the unproven entities along the line. Tevin Lawson and Aaron Curry are coming along a little slower but could crack the starting lineup or just put up big numbers while they rotate in and out along the line.

Best Draft Prospect: Davion Pierson DT 7th Round/UFA 2016.

Linebackers:

Talk about losses, Paul Dawson had a huge year basically winning every defensive award under the sun last season, and fellow linebacker Marcus Mallett was there as his partner in crime. Despite the large losses TCU seems very comfortable with their personnel. Sammy Douglas and Mike Freeze will be the new linebackers, as TCU uses a basic 4-2-5 setup in most of their formations. Mike Freeze is just a freshman, but he has the speed to go along with that 220-230 pound build TCU likes their linebackers to have to apply pressure off the edge when needed.

Best Draft Prospect: N/A.

Secondary:

Derrick Kindred will be the vocal leader of the team and a safe bet to lead the squad in tackles. Kindred plays free safety, and his running stopping skills essentially make him the third linebacker on the squad. Ranthony Texada is the only returning starter in the secondary aside from Kindred, but he had some struggles a season ago. Denzel Johnson will float between corner and safety, and the junior is poised for a breakout year.

Best Draft Prospect: Derrick Kindred S UFA 2016.

Special Teams

Jared Oberkrom is one of the best kickers in the land and could be one of the few selected in the upcoming draft, and someone who may not have to wait to get an undrafted free agent invitation. Oberkrom may be better at longer kicks then shorter ones. It will be interesting to see how he lines up at the next level. Ethan Perry excelled at pinning opponents down inside the 20 and will work more with his hang time this season when he can’t angle a punt for the sidelines. Kolby Listenbee should be the primary kick returner with freshman KaVontae Turpin handling punt return duties.

Best Draft Prospect: Jared Oberkrom K 6th Round 2016.

2015 Schedule

TCU has a number of road games in the conference that should be tough, so getting through without a loss is not as easy as it looks. TCU ends the regular season around Thanksgiving at home with Baylor, which could have National Title implications along with Big 12 superiority.

Draft Prospects & Outlook

Josh Doctson could have the biggest impact from TCU. There are a number of players who can make it at the next level but none that pop out as 1st or 2nd round material. Trevone Boykin and his Heisman bid could have teams overvaluing his worth and services, and OT Halapoulivaati Vaitai is the kind of prospect who could move up fast based upon a few teams with systems where he grades out higher.

NCAA & College Football Chat

[iflychat_embed id="c-62" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]