Know Your Foe: Five TCU Horned Frogs to know for regular season finale
Friday will be an emotional day of celebration. The Oklahoma Sooners (9-2, 6-2 Big 12) will host their Senior Day. This will be the last time the Sooners host a Big 12 game on Owen Field.
The crimson and cream have made it through another Big 12 slate. The chances of earning a trip to Arlington for the Big 12 Championship are slim but not quite zero. The Sooners will need help from other Big 12 members to make that happen.
All Oklahoma can do is worry about finishing their final Big 12 slate with a win at home.
Their opponents were the first Big 12 team not named Oklahoma to make it to the College Football Playoff. Sonny Dykes orchestrated a masterful coaching job to get TCU (5-6, 3-5) to the national championship last year. Things didn’t go so hot in their game against Georgia, but his work speaks for itself.
The Horned Frogs lost a significant amount of production from that team, and this season has hardly been as fruitful. This team can still hang with many teams and is hungry for bowl eligibility. They are one win shy of playing in a bowl game and would love nothing more than to spoil Oklahoma’s festivities and get that sixth victory.
There is no Max Duggan, Quentin Johnston, Kendre Miller, Dee Winters, Steve Avila, or Derius Davis for this year’s TCU Horned Frogs. That group of players was the backbone of last year’s team and a big reason Oklahoma lost 55-24 in Fort Worth last year.
With so many faces gone and off to the NFL, who are the players to know for Sonny Dykes’ team? We break down five TCU Horned Frogs to know ahead for Oklahoma’s regular-season finale.
Josh Hoover, QB
Entering the year, the thought was that former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Chandler Morris would take over for Heisman finalist Max Duggan. That was the plan until injuries derailed Morris’ season.
Redshirt Freshman Josh Hoover has stepped up to the plate. While the results haven’t always earned a win, there’s no denying his ability as a Power Five quarterback.
He eviscerated BYU’s defense earlier this season and then shredded Baylor’s defense, throwing for 412 yards and two touchdowns.
He’s not a big guy but has a live arm and excellent instincts. With every young quarterback, his performances have been a bit of a roller coaster as he searches for consistency.
That might be where Ted Roof and this Oklahoma defense can exploit the TCU offense. He was turnover-free in their win over Baylo game but has had some problems in other starts. He can be sped up into mistakes.
Jamoi Hodge, LB
TCU was led by Dee Winters and Johnny Hodges at the linebacker spot last year. Both were excellent college players and instrumental in their run to the national championship.
The third linebacker from that group that was also there was Jamoi Hodge. Hodge earned 2022 Honorable-Mention All-Big 12 honors.
He is now one of the top dogs on that defense and is picking up where they left off. He has 69 tackles and 2.5 sacks as an every down-linebacker for the Horned Frogs.
Jared Wiley, TE
Jared Wiley is a certified future NFL player. He has an incredible blend of size, athleticism, and savvy that NFL teams will covet. He is also becoming very productive at the college level, which will only help his case.
Against the Baylor Bears, the electric tight end caught seven passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns. One score was a catch-and-run of 81 yards, and the other was from 28 yards out.
He will undoubtedly be among the most challenging individual matchups the Sooners have faced all year. With no Justin Harrington to match Wiley’s imposing 6-foot-7 frame, look for TCU to target him heavily.
Namdi Obiazor, LB
TCU’s sacks leader for 2023 is Namdi Obiazor, a talented outside linebacker from Iowa Western Community College.
He played in all 15 games last year and was eighth with 49 tackles. He’s taken on a more prominent role this year and has delivered, leading the Horned Frogs in tackles.
The combination of Obiazor and Hodge, who have experience in Joe Gillespie’s version of the 3-3-5, will make for a dangerous duo. Oklahoma has to figure out how to attack if they plan to run the ball effectively on TCU.
Emani Bailey, RB
Kendre Miller cooked this Oklahoma defense last year on 13 carries for 136 yards and two touchdowns. Waiting in the wings for his opportunity was Emani Bailey.
Now a junior, Bailey is the bellcow for TCU. He’s up to 202 carries for the year and already has over 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns. He can also catch the ball out of the backfield, with 20 receptions on the season.
Bailey is an elusive guy and will press the line of scrimmage, where he can use his lateral quickness to get out of would-be tackles and get extra yards.
The TCU offense ranked 15th in rush success heading into the Baylor game, so despite their weapons outside with Wiley and receivers Savion Williams and Oklahoma State transfer John Paul Richardson, Bailey is the engine that makes Kendal Briles’ offense go.
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