2024 TCU Football Season Recap: Offensive Line

Several newcomers took the reigns in the trenches for the Horned Frogs this season.

The 2024 TCU football season saw a significant transition for the offensive line, which was forced to replace four starters, including All-Big 12 Second Team honoree and NFL Draft selection Brandon Coleman, from the 2023 campaign. The Horned Frogs also lost key veterans including offensive tackle Andrew Coker, center John Lanz IV and Jackson State transfer guard Willis Patrick. TCU went into the transfer portal to address their vacancies on the offensive line, signing former San Diego State lineman Cade Bennett along with former Louisiana Tech lineman Carson Bruno and former Florida State lineman Bless Harris.

Perhaps the most significant acquisition was former Alabama center James Brockermeyer, who transferred to TCU after spring camp and won the starting job with the Horned Frogs in 2024. The brother of former five-star prospect Tommy Brockermeyer, who medically retired from football after also transferring to TCU from Alabama, James was an anchor on the line this season, earning an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. Unfortunately, Brockermeyer has once again entered the transfer portal, meaning the Horned Frogs will need to call upon another player to handle center duties in 2025. One candidate is former Maryland transfer Coltin Deery, who started at left guard this year after splitting time at center and guard last year.

Deery took over as TCU’s starting left guard after Bennett suffered a back injury over the offseason that required season-ending surgery. Although the former Aztec is expected to return next season, his absence left the Horned Frogs with minimal depth on the interior. Bruno earned the starting job at right guard, while Harris started at tackle and spend time on both sides of the line. Rounding out the starting lineup in the trenches was redshirt senior tackle Mike Nichols, who appeared in all 13 games this year after making five starts last season. Nichols started his career in 2020 and has one year of eligibility remaining.

The strength of the TCU offensive line this season was in pass protection, where the group conceded only 16 sacks in 13 games and provided ample blocking for quarterback Josh Hoover, who threw for a new school record of 3,949 passing yards along with 27 scores. TCU’s 1.3 sacks allowed per game ranked tied for 25th-best out of 134 qualifying schools and is an improvement from the 2023 season, when TCU allowed 1.7 sacks per game. The Horned Frogs struggled to run block, however, as the team averaged only 3.7 yards per carry despite over a dozen players registering at least one carry. Removing Savion Williams from the equation, TCU registered a measly 3.3 yards per carry out of the backfield.

After Emani Bailey recorded six 100-yard rushing games in 2023, TCU did not have a single player run for over 100 yards in a game this season. While some of those struggles were due to a fluctuating running back room, the offensive line did the running backs few favors in creating holes. Moving forward, TCU will have Deery, Bennett, Bruno eligible to return in 2025. The Horned Frogs will lose the All-Big 12 Honorable Mention Harris, who declared for the 2025 NFL Draft earlier this week. One name to watch for next season is true sophomore and former Duncanville standout Ben Taylor-Whitfield, who last season became TCU’s first true freshman to start on the offensive line since Aviante Collins in 2012. BTW appeared in all 13 games this season and has earned reps at both guard and tackle in 2023 and 2024.

Another name to keep an eye on is true freshman offensive tackle Ryan Hughes, who played in four games this season, all of which came during the second half of the 2024 campaign. TCU has so far signed only one offensive lineman, former Incarnate Word offensive tackle Rasheed Jackson, in the transfer portal. The Horned Frogs have a slew of freshmen on the roster including Tobias Steppes, Samir Camacho, Mike Stoker, Wesley Harvey, Mitch Hodnett and Cooper Powers. TCU has signed four linemen in the 2025 recruiting class, Logan Schram, Kilian Registe, Witten Van Hoy and Jackson Jones, all three-star prospects.