By Tony Thomas
The TCU Horned Frogs posted a 5-7 record a season ago, with three of those losses by three points against Colorado, West Virginia, and Texas. Head Coach Sonny Dykes returns experienced talent at the offensive skill positions, and veterans on defense.
In addition, Dykes and his staff went into the transfer portal and scooped up some talented players from the transfer portal to provide depth and to fill positions of need, and three of those transfers will make an impact sooner rather than later.
LB Kaleb Elarms-Orr
Previous School: Cal Bears
6’2”, 230 lbs.
A 2023 3rd Team All-PAC 12 selection by College Football Network, Kaleb Elarms-Orr led the Bears with 92 tackles and six quarterback pressures. In addition, he recorded 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, five pass breakups, and a forced fumble.
OUR BALL. @jackson_sirmon and Kaleb Elarms-Orr combine for the fourth down stop!
📺 @Pac12Network #GoBears pic.twitter.com/i3oTTMI31A
— Cal Football (@CalFootball) September 30, 2023
Elarms-Orr racked up double-digit tackles four times last season: 10 against Auburn, 11 vs. Idaho, a season-high 16 vs. Arizona State, and 10 against Oregon State. Look for Elarms-Orr to push hard for playing time and could be a starter by the season opener at Stanford.
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TE Drake Dabney
Previous School: Baylor Bears
6’5”, 248 lbs.
2nd on the team in catches with 33, Drake Dabney gained 552 yards and five touchdowns last season. Against Texas State, Dabney caught six passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns and hauled in four passes for 105 yards and a TD against Kansas State.
https://twitter.com/TSV__1/status/1700573863896375637
In addition, Dabney recorded three games averaging 20 yards per catch. Dabney’s arrival eases the pain of losing team captain and All Big-XII TE Jared Wiley, who set a school and Big XII record with 178 receiving yards vs Baylor last season.
DL Davean Deal
Previous School: Tulane Green Wave
6’4”, 245 lbs.
An Honorable Mention All-AAC selection a season ago, Davean Deal recorded 43 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, four sacks, two pass breakups, four quarterback pressures, and three forced fumbles.
Against UAB, Deal posted eight tackles, four tackles, and one sack in a 35-23 win. In the AAC Championship Game vs SMU, Deal made four tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, one pass breakup, and one forced fumble in a 26-14 loss.
Tulane transfer DL Devean Deal committed to TCU https://t.co/mfI51xYLUQ
— FarrellPortal (@farrellportal) December 18, 2023
The 2024 schedule looks daunting, with UCF, Oklahoma State, and Arizona at home, along with road games at SMU, Kansas, and Utah. But with the returning production on both sides of the ball, the Horned Frogs are poised to surprise some opponents and earn a few more checkmarks in the win column in 2024.
