By Jamie Plunkett
Frogs Today staff writer
TCU quarterback and Heisman runner-up Max Duggan has declared for the 2023 NFL Draft.
Duggan, a senior, has one more year of eligibility due to changes made during the COVID pandemic, but he will forego that extra year in favor of the draft.
The TCU leader has had an excellent year, throwing for more than 3,300 yards and 30 touchdowns while also rushing for 400 yards and six touchdowns to lead the Horned Frogs to a 12-1 record and a College Football Playoff berth.
Duggan also became the first TCU player to be a Heisman finalist since LaDainian Tomlinson did so in 2000, finishing second in the final vote with 188 first-place votes.
He has faced a tremendous amount of adversity over the course of his career, including transitioning to a new coaching staff, losing his starting job, and battling numerous injuries. Above them all, though, was Duggan’s need to undergo a nine-hour surgery to repair an irregularity in his heart.
The Council Bluffs, Iowa, native is TCU’s third all-time leader in passing yards (9,241) and is tied with Andy Dalton for second-most passing touchdowns (71). Duggan also has the third-most passing yards (3,327) and passing touchdowns (30) in a single season.
Duggan was named the Davey O’Brien Award winner and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner, both given annually to the best quarterback in college football.
Duggan’s statement announcing his intent to enter the NFL Draft ends with a signal that, while his time at TCU is coming to an end, there’s still more to do.
“But first,” Duggan writes, “we still have business to take care of.”
Duggan and the Frogs will face Michigan on Dec. 31 in the VRBO Fiesta Bowl, with the winner heading to the national championship game.
Jamie Plunkett, jamie@frogstoday.com
