The term "embarrassment of riches" comes to mind when you break down the depth chart at running back right now as it projects into the near-future for TCU. Headlining the returning tailbacks next year will be
Matthew Tucker and
Ed Wesley, both of whom ran for more than 600 yards and averaged over 6 yards per carry as freshmen this fall. Waiting in the wings are two 4-star recruits:
Waymon James, who will be a redshirt freshman next year and
Aundre Dean, the UCLA transfer and former Texas 5A Player of the Year who will be a sophomore after redshirting this year per NCAA transfer rules. A pair of juniors-to-be,
Jercell Fort and
Jai Cavness, have also been productive in their limited playing time. Then there is the ever-present rumor that Carthage's
Dwight Smith, who tore all of 3A football a new one in 2008, will enroll at TCU in January once he gets his NCAA eligibility squared away.
All of that was enough to lead most that follow recruiting to believe that the Frogs would be at a decided disadvantage in persuading a top-notch back to join their ranks this year. Imagine the surprise, then, when just yesterday not one but
two 4-star running backs committed to TCU, switching their allegiances from BCS-conference programs.
Josh Huff, from Aldine's Nimitz High School, is 5'10"185lbs and was previously committed to Minnesota.
Ethan Grant, a 5'10 175lb speedster from Coconut Creek, Florida, was previously committed to the current Pac 10 Champs, Oregon. You can see Ethan's highlights
HERE.
Certainly, the coaching staff has done a great job over the years of dispersing a fair share of the workload to a number of backs, but I struggle to comprehend how they'll divide the pie in the coming seasons between this bevy of talent. So what's the solution? Obviously, we'd hate to see someone transfer out of the program or for one of the newcomers- Huff, Smith or Grant- to never make it to campus. But maybe one or more of these athletes decides to go the route of so many successful Frogs (Jerry Hughes, Drew Coleman, Jason Phillips, Chase Ortiz, Tommy Blake) and switch positions?
Either way, when your main problem is figuring out which of the nearly dozen talented backs is going to tote the rock the most, you've got a good thing going.
ESPN's Mark Schlabach ranks the bowl game 1 through 34. In at #2:
