TCU Football: Can Horned Frogs bounce back from 2019 regression?

Defense uncharacteristically let down TCU too many times in 2019

Gary Patterson’s best TCU teams have always been defined by stingy defenses that make life especially difficult for opponents at the point of attack. When they went 12-1 in the first College Football Playoff season in 2014, the Horned Frogs allowed only 19.0 points per game while ranking ninth nationally in rushing defense (108.8 yards per game allowed) and 11th in sacks (3.08 per game).

Three years later, the Horned Frogs won 11 games as they put up similar numbers. Once again they held opponents to 19.0 points per game, ranked fifth in rushing defense (103.9 yards per game allowed), and 11th in sacks (3.00 per game). Those are the places to look for the biggest improvement after a year where TCU allowed 7.4 more points per game than those teams while giving up 30 more rushing yards on average and struggling to pressure opposing quarterbacks.

Last year’s team could point to a lot of lost experience, but the Horned Frogs are solidly set up with 68 percent of their production returning on defense from last year’s roster. They lose significant contributors such as cornerback Jeff Gladney, safety Vernon Scott, and defensive end Ross Blacklock to the NFL, but that won’t be an acceptable excuse if TCU continues to regress on that side of the ball.

Focusing on the TCU linebackers

A big reason why that excuse won’t be acceptable is the depth of talent that TCU boasts at linebacker. In the Horned Frogs’ 4-2-5 defense, these players play a critical role in making sure those rushing numbers stay low for opponents while also having a huge role to play in backfield disruption.

Senior star Garret Wallow is the linchpin for this group after leading the team in total tackles last year and finishing with more than twice as many tackles for loss as any other player on the roster. Wallow boasted 125 tackles, including 18 tackles for loss. He also tied for the team lead in sacks with Blacklock, finishing the year with 3.5 quarterback drops.

Sophomore Dee Winters will look to get more playing time this season after starting two games as a freshman and finishing with 28 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks. La’Kendrick Van Zandt, a junior who could also see more playing time, notched an interception and two pass breakups in addition to a dozen tackles and one tackle for loss in a reserve role last season.