TCU Football: 3 2018 recruits who can play right away
With TCU football's 2018 spring scrimmage now in the books, it won't be until Week 1 when fans next get a chance to see the Horned Frogs in action.
TCU lost more than its fair share of seniors after the 2017 season — something that coach Gary Patterson has noted time after time. That hefty amount of departures means that plenty of freshmen will have a chance to make their mark on the field this fall.
So who are some 2018 recruits that could be playing right away for the Horned Frogs this upcoming season. Here are three names that TCU fans may want to become familiar with as Patterson and Co. set their sights on another 10-win season in Fort Worth.
WR Taye Barber
Hometown: Cypress, Texas
High School: Cypress Springs High School (Cypress, Texas)
247Sports composite ranking: 3 stars, No. 76 Texas prospect and No. 45 overall athlete in Class of 2018
Taye Barber enrolled early at TCU after inking his commitment with the Horned Frogs during the early signing period last December and is among the most talked-about freshmen by Patterson. Barber had an impressive touchdown reception during the spring scrimmage on Saturday. The Horned Frogs love their receivers, and with Barber already having an entire spring practice-worth's experience with the TCU offense, expect him to make an immediate impact this fall.
T Anthony McKinney (JUCO)
Hometown: Rockford, Ill.
High School: Harlem High School (Machesney Park, Ill.)
Junior College: Iowa Western Community College (Council Bluffs, Iowa)
247Sports composite ranking: 4 stars, No. 3 overall JUCO tackle and No. 14 overall JUCO prospect
Of all the new faces in Fort Worth, Anthony McKinney may be the most likely to start this fall. TCU lost four of its 2017 starters on the offensive line during the offseason. Combine the need for replacements with McKinney's experience and size (6-foot-8, 330 pounds), and there's no reason why we shouldn't expect to see him out on the field when TCU opens the season against Southern on Sept. 1.
WR Tevailance Hunt
Hometown: Texarkana, Texas
High School: Texas High School (Texarkana, Texas)
247Sports composite ranking: 4 stars, No. 35 Texas prospect and No. 45 overall player in Class of 2018
From KaVontae Turpin and Jaelan Austin in 2015 to Jalen Reagor last year, it's not uncommon to see freshmen make an immediate impact at wide receiver for TCU. Tevailance Hunt is the highest rated receiver in the 2018 recruiting class for the Horned Frogs and can take some of the attention away from opposing defenses when it comes to covering Austin and Reagor. Expect him, alongside redshirt freshman Omar Manning, to make some impressive catches this fall for TCU.