2015 Recruiting vs. 2016 Recruiting Classes

Coach P after last years Signing Day

Thank God for the freshmen that were recruited last year. Never have so many been required to fill in so early in their college careers. Through injury and attrition many of last year's recruits were pressed into action and return as veterans this year. Not exactly what Coach P had in mind when he started the season, but ultimately it was the past two years recruiting classes that stepped into the gaps and delivered. A total of 29 "true" and redshirt freshmen played during the 2015 season.
 
Kavontae Turpin was rated a 3-star recruit and he was runner-up to All Big 12 Freshman of the year. Four-star recruits Jaelan Austin and Jarrison Stewart caught key touchdown passes in major games, Montrel Wilson stepped up and filled a major gap in the secondary and a red shirt from 2014 Ty Summers developed into a much needed linebacker.
 
You will only see four 4-star recruits out of 21 in last year's class list below. But hasn't that been the Patterson way. Take the best that is available and mold them into a highly motivated team. The sleeper in this class could well be Darrion Flowers, a wide receiver who entered TCU on a track scholarship for the first year and this coming year will be a freshman in football (Small like Turpin but faster).

TCU 2015 Recruiting Class

Ranking	Name	Position	Position Rank	Hometown	Height/Weight	40-time	Other Notable Offers
4-star	Deshawn Raymond	CB	No. 24	Metaire, LA	6’1"/180		FSU, Arkansas, LSU, Georgia
3-star	Breylin Mitchell	DE	No. 47	Round Rock, TX	6’4"/255	4.74	Oklahoma
4-star	Semaj Thomas	MLB	No. 12	Fort Worth, TX	6’2"/225	4.66	Oklahoma, Texas
3-star	Joseph Broadnax	DT	No. 41	Dallas, TX	6’0"/305		North Texas, UTSA
3-star	Alec Dunham	OLB	No. 41	Coldspring, TX	6’1"/213	4.54	Oklahoma, Missouri, Wake Forest
3-star	Mike Freeze	OLB	No. 51	Graham, TX	6’3"/220	4.58	Oklahoma State, Texas Tech
3-star	Jozie Milton	C	No. 50	Clinton, LA	6’2"/310	5.0	South Carolina, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa
4-star	Jaelan Austin	WR	No. 52	Grand Prairie, TX	6’2"/190	4.54	Baylor, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Texas Tech
3-star	Cordel Iwuagwu	OG	No. 60	Houston, TX	6’3"/290		Louisville, Arizona State, Purdue
3-star	Niko Small	S	No. 34	Arlington, TX	5’10"/187	4.41	Stanford, Navy, Illinois
3-star	Jeff Gladney	CB	No. 81	New Boston, TX	6’0"/175	4.34	Rice, Tulsa, North Texas
3-star	Julius Lewis	CB	No. 39	Mansfield, TX	5’10"/170	4.33
3-star	Sam Awolope	OT	No. 71	Missouri City, TX	6’6"/265		Arkansas, Arizona State, Nebraska, Missouri
4-star	Jarrison Stewart	WR	No. 54	Mesquite, TX	5’11"/177	4.51	SMU
3-star	Tony James	WR	No. 108	Arlington, TX	5’10"/165	4.45
3-star	Montrel Wilson	S	No. 90	Keller, TX	6’3"/198		Baylor, Arkansas, Illinois
3-star	Tipa Galea’i	DE	No. 67	Euless, TX	6’5"/220	4.68	Oklahoma State, Utah, Texas Tech
3-star	Tre'vontae Hights	WR	No. 133	Yoakum, TX	6’3"/180	4.49
3-star	Darrion Flowers*	WR	No. 136	Arlington, TX	5’9"/170	4.39	Cal, Nebraska, Missouri
2-star	Jonathan Song**	K	N/A	Fort Worth, TX	5’9"/160		SMU
3-star	David Bolisomi	OT	No. 52	Denton, TX	6’6"/290		Arizona State, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech
3-star	Arico Evans	S	No. 153	Dallas, TX	6’2"/190	4.48	Arkansas, Kansas, Texas Tech
3-star	KaVontae Turpin	WR	No. 196	Monroe, LA	5’9"/165	4.45	Texas Tech

The really amazing story is that TCU has just announced it's highest rated recruiting class in history for 2016. Instead of two to four 4-star recruits, the current class has up to twelve 4-star recruits. (Depending on which rating service you subscribe to, ie Rivals, Scout, 247 Sports , or ESPN). Can you imagine what the possibilities are for the coming years, just consider what this coaching staff has done over the past 15 years.

This year's class includes several highly rated JC players who have potential to fill in gaps right away, like Jason Verrett and PJ Dawson in the past. Markell Simmons at CB, Mat Boeson at DE,  and Chris Gaynor at OT are all 3 star recruits that are seasoned players from the JUCO ranks. Tyree Horton at LB is a 4-star JC transfer and should provide some immediate experience in the defense. Taj Williams from Iowa Western CC is ranked nationally as the number one wide receiver recruit , but he is followed closely by Ryan Parker from Tyler JC who is ranked second in the JUCO WR ranks. In addition, John Diarse, another WR who played in 2015 with LSU, has chosen to transfer to TCU for his last two years of eligibility. The potential at WR is suddenly awesome, considering this group and the ones we already have.

The only no-show on signing day is Sci Martin, a 3-star who verbally committed to TCU back in December, but he has been flirting with other campuses since then. Regardless, this is a premiere group of young men who will be playing for TCU next year. I seriously can't wait to see them come together under Coach P and his staff.

 As I always say, "Never underestimate the recruiting value of coming back from a 31 point half-time deficit in a major bowl game".

Here is a link to the TCU official 2016 signees.
http://www.gofrogs.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/tcu-16-signing-day.html
Additional official information on the signees can be found here:
http://www.gofrogs.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/020316aac.html

247 Sports rates 12 of the TCU recruits as 4-stars