After a tough spring which lacked a public scrimmage due to a lack of depth, TCU football entered the dog days of summer with some players trending up.
One of the most unique teams heading into the 2019 season has to be TCU.
Gary Patterson is consistently one of the best coaches in college football but he’s coming off a mediocre 7-6 season where he couldn’t seem to find a stead quarterback. Things may be looking up after spring ball, even though the Horned Frogs didn’t hold a spring game due to a rash of injuries that depleted the roster.
Shawn Robinson is gone and it looks like Justin Rogers is the favorite to start, but the Horned Frogs did have an exciting addition in Ohio State transfer, and Texas-native, Matthew Baldwin.
Though there was no spring game, there were still some solid performers this spring and guys who made moves on the depth chart.
Which five Horned Frogs are trending up after spring ball?
How good is La’Kendrick Van Zandt? Well, if he didn’t get injured during his first season with TCU in 2017, he could have had a much larger role. He suffered a season-ending injury and bounced back to play in 10 games in 2018. He finished with just four tackles, a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery, but he seems to be on the verge of much more in 2019.
In fact, he was one of the top defenders for the Horned Frogs this spring and NCAA.com even has him as one of the breakout candidates in the Big 12 this season.
Van Zandt has been lauded for his versatility as he can play both safety and linebacker and that’s what’ll get him on the field extensively this season. He saw time with the second-team defense at linebacker and first-team defense at safety, but no matter where he plays, he’ll have a major impact this season.