TCU Spring Practice Observations from Practice Number 3

With everything, complacency is the biggest proponent of failure. Being accustomed to the same routine, chasing different results while doing the same amount of work, none of that adds up to achievements that feel good enough. As I have discussed in the last two articles, an ongoing theme has emerged: toughness and grit.

Another topic discussed today was competition. Competition breeds greatness, it sidesteps complacency, and pushes players to get every ounce of greatness out of themselves they can. One area undergoing intense competition is the offensive line. Last season, the competition was just about feeling confident in the five players lined up there this offseason; this season, it's a true competition.

"We got competition this year, it's not like, 'hey, we have to start this guy'," Ricker talked about his offensive line group. "If you're starting this year, it even kind of started a little bit last year; if you're starting, you won a position. You battled for it; it's not just that this is the best guy."

Having a one-off practice that produces one-off results that day could be a good thing, but it won't be the final nail in the coffin. It's early in spring camp, and there are still plenty of months until August. Things will change, and the depth chart will change. Right now, the biggest thing is consistency; that is what matters most. That message was echoed by transfer offensive lineman Noah McKinney. The Oklahoma State transfer has looked impressive during spring camp.

"I mean every day we're all pushing each other, between the ones and twos and the threes," McKinney said of the competition. "This is like probably the most competitive, and overall just well rounded group I've ever been a part of. Every day, somebody can go out there and just surprise you with something you never thought you'd see, and everyone's just getting better each week."

There is no doubt that, once again, the success of the offense will hinge on the production from the offensive line, but that can be said for nearly every school around the country. For now, it's hard to gauge where that group is properly at. Cade Bennett and Ryan Hughes are sidelined with injuries, but that is also giving the players behind them valuable reps to improve each week.

One thing that has stood out so far is Ben Taylor-Whitfield's maturity level, and that was echoed by Coach Ricker, who said he has grown between the ears over the last three months. With the talent and the skills to be a high-level player, finding the mentality and IQ to go with it could make him take the next step the coaching staff has been waiting for.

Quick Hits From Camp

I will preface this with: These are observations, and are not meant to be taken as the overall characteristics that will define a play, just simply what happened during the third spring practice of the year.

• The offensive line had some great reps in the run game, and while pass blocking left something to be desired, they were able to form some holes and get a good one to two-yard push on plays.
• Both Major Everhart and Dozie Ezukanma had really good catches along the sidelines, and both of them recorded touchdowns during the team portions of practice.
• Ka'Morreun Pimpton is showing to be an early favorite target for quarterback Jaden Craig, especially on check-downs. He's a big target with nice hands that come up late to avoid giving away the incoming pass.
• Joe Pitchford continues to impress me. He has shown good vision and strong footwork to dance through a tight window. He also ran defender over, and continues to run with authority.
• Koron Hayward burst off the end of the line, got in the backfield in a hurry, and showed really good ability to bend around the edge.
• Tristan Johnson has looked solid during camp, and he had a nice pursuit today that forced Adam Schobel to throw the ball away.
• Craig has struggled some on deep passes. He's got good touch, but they seem to float a little too much, which often can result in them being underthrown.
• In comparison to what TCU fans are used to, there is a slight drop-off in zip on passes from Craig as well.
• With Craig, though, the acceleration and ability to turn on the jets when he needs to scramble are great. He can hit his stride early and is willing to use his legs way more as well.

With just three practices in the book and a month still to go, things will continue to change, and nothing will be final based on what is shown during these few practices. Rather, a baseline should begin to emerge at that time.

As always, check back out here for more observations and thoughts after practices, and if you have any questions or thoughts of your own, feel free to tag me or message me on X at @Jdandress11.