By Jeff Wilson
Frogs Today senior writer
FORT WORTH — TCU’s new football coaching staff had roughly two weeks to create some semblance of a recruiting class for the early signing period after taking over a class that had been thinned considerably following Gary Patterson’s departure.
New coach Sonny Dykes said the plan was to avoid the temptation of loading up on bodies and zero in on players who would make an impact. Ultimately, nine met that criteria.
Among them were three defensive linemen, two defensive backs, a wide receiver, a running back who will move to wide receiver, an offensive lineman and a quarterback. Two players were four-star recruits and none received fewer than three starts.
Who are they? Read about each one below.
Chace Biddle (S, 6-foot, 190 pounds, Garland High School): The four-star initially committed to SMU. Biddle comes to TCU as the No. 11 safety in the country, the No. 29-rated overall player in Texas and No. 160 nationally, according to 247Sports. He’s a speedster, with a best time of 10.70 seconds in the 100 as a sophomore.
Kyron Chambers (CB, 6-0, 195 pounds, South Oak Cliff HS): The nation’s 43rd-ranked cornerback, according to 247Sports, just bagged a state title. Chambers is a three-star recruit as the No. 65 player in Texas who had been committed to Arizona before signing on at TCU. Dykes likes Chambers because of how physical he is and how hard he competes.
Major Everhart (WR, 5-11, 170 pounds, Amarillo Tascosa HS): Another speedy player, Everhart was a running back in high school but will become an inside receiver at TCU. The Frogs had to fight off a late push from Texas Tech to keep Everhart, a three-star recruit who is ranked as the No. 59 overall player in the state. He finished sixth last year in the 100 at the state meet (10.38 seconds).
Quinton Harris (OT, 6-8, 290 pounds, Arlington Seguin HS): An 11th-hour addition to the class, Harris is long and athletic and fits the prototype Dykes’ staff looks for in offensive linemen. A three-star recruit, 247Sports pegged him as the 193rd-ranked player in the state. Harris had offers from Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, SMU and Kansas.
Josh Hoover (QB, 6-1, 206 pounds, Rockwall-Heath HS): Hoover, a three-star recruit, flipped from Indiana to sign with TCU. He was considered the 33rd-best quarterback in the country and the 72nd-best player in Texas. He tossed for 9,953 yards and 108 touchdowns in high school. He was selected as winner of the 2021 Landry Award, given by KTVT/Channel 11 and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes to the top high school player in North Texas
Jordan Hudson (WR, 6-1, 180 pounds, Garland HS): Dykes said that he didn’t see a better receiver in Texas than Hudson, a four-star recruit and the highest-ranked member of the TCU class. He was originally committed to SMU. Hudson is the No. 21 receiver and No. 25 player in Texas and No. 146 player in the country, according to 247Sports. He was rated in the ESPN 300 as the seventh-best receiver in the country.
Michael Ibukun-Okeyode (DE, 6-5, 234 pounds, Rowlett HS): Considered the 23rd-ranked edge in the country and the 49th-best player in Texas, Ibukun-Okeyode is a first-team all-district player. Dykes believes Ibukun-Okeyode has the body type to easily bump his weight to 270 or 280 pounds and is athletic enough to carry it well.
Paul Oyewale (DL, 6-4, 250 pounds, Katy Langham Creek HS): A three-star recruit, Oyewale was ranked as the 75th-best player in Texas by 247Sports and the 74th-best D-lineman in the country. He’s athletic for his size and also throws the shot and discus in the spring. He chose TCU over Baylor, Duke, Oklahoma State and SMU.
Damonic Williams (DL, 6-2, 325 pounds, Bishop Alemany (Calif.) HS ): The lone signee not from Texas, Williams was rated as the No. 35 overall player in California and as the country’s 50th-best defensive tackle. He figures to be a nose tackle in college. Cal, Colorado and Arizona State were also in on him.
