2024 TCU Football Season Recap: Cornerbacks

Newcomers LaMareon James and JaTravis Broughton were key contributors on the outsides this season.

TCU football has sent two cornerbacks to the NFL over the last two seasons. Former Jim Thorpe Award winner Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson was drafted in 2023 and currently plays for the Los Angeles Rams, while Josh Newton recently concluded his rookie campaign with the Cincinnati Bengals after being selected in 2024. While the Horned Frogs brought some key players back for the 2024 season, TCU went into the transfer portal and signed Old Dominion cornerback LaMareon James as well as Utah cornerback JaTravis Broughton.

James and Broughton both took on key roles for the Horned Frogs, who suffered two big losses during the preseason after both Avery Helm and Vernon Glover Jr. were ruled out with season-ending injuries. James was arguably TCU’s strongest cornerback this season, finishing the season with a team-high 14 pass breakups as well as 35 total tackles over 13 games. James sealed TCU’s road win over Kansas with a clutch interception during the fourth quarter. Broughton opened the season as a starter, but his season came with highs and lows, as the former Ute was picked on quite a bit during TCU’s losses against UCF and SMU. Broughton totaled 38 tackles, with 21 coming against the Knights and Mustangs. Broughton did well against Stanford’s Elic Ayomanor during TCU’s win over the Cardinal.

A key contributor over the second half of the season was former Austin Peay cornerback Jevon McIver Jr., who made the leap from FCS to FBS to play for the Horned Frogs in 2024. McIver Jr. made his TCU debut against Texas Tech and appeared in six games, totaling 12 tackles and five pass breakups. McIver Jr. has one year of eligibility remaining and could become an even greater contributor next season. The Horned Frogs also leaned on former JUCO cornerback Channing Canada, who turned in 31 total tackles and two pass breakups in his second season with TCU in 2024. Canada has been a reliable depth option over the last two years, appearing in 25 games over that span, and should continue to see reps next season. Canada was a four-star JUCO prospect before signing with the Horned Frogs.

TCU will lose both James and Broughton after the 2024 season. James has declared for the 2025 NFL Draft, while Broughton has played six seasons at the collegiate level. The return of Helm and Glover Jr. from injury should provide a boost to a TCU defense that ranked 23rd in the nation with an average of only 185.2 passing yards allowed per game. McIver Jr. and Canada are also eligible to return, while young corners including freshman Devondre McGee will work for more reps in 2025. While TCU lost freshman cornerback Julian Knox to the transfer portal, head coach Sonny Dykes and his staff have signed multiple 2025 prospects including four-star Brownsboro corner Micah Strickland as well as three-star Ridge Point corner Gil Jackson and Long Beach JUCO recruit Jonah Martinez.

TCU also signed former Washington cornerback Elijah Jackson, who totaled 89 tackles, seven pass breakups and three forced fumbles during his five years with the Huskies. Jackson’s most notable highlight came during Washington’s College Football Playoff win over Texas, when he broke up a pass near the end zone that sealed his team’s victory. Overall, TCU should have a healthy mix of veterans and young corners next season.