See what the 2026 high school class looks like for the TCU Horned Frogs as Sonny Dykes' team enters the spring.
As the TCU Horned Frogs go back to the drawing board and try to return to College Football Playoff contention after a 9-4 season, the program has clearly focused on traditional roster construction.
Head coach Sonny Dykes recently spoke about how the Horned Frogs aren't spending as much in the NIL-driven transfer portal as other Big 12 rivals, but he believes his team can still compete with the best "the old-fashioned way".
That, of course, relys on relationship-building through high school recruiting.
In ESPN's latest 2026 recruiting rankings, the Horned Frogs - who finished the year at a last-team-in ranking of No. 25 in the AP poll - slots in at No. 24 out of the 75 teams ranked.
"An early foundation was set with in-state defensive linemen, and they come in different shapes and sizes," says Craig Haubert.
TCU's class is led by its only SportsCenter Top-300 recruit in defensive lineman Jesse Ford, a three-star from Arlington Martin who has signed to stay close to home.
"He has been a productive, disruptive presence at 6-5 and 230 pounds with an impressive first step and room to keep packing weight onto his frame," Haubert scouted.
Dykes added more strength on the defensive line, as well, by landing three-star prospects from in-state programs in Maddox Flynt (Austin Westlake) and Duncan McGhee (Texas HS).
The reinforcements should allow TCU to build on their above-average run defense from last season, where the Horned Frogs allowed 133 rushing yards per game. Only four teams in the conference gave up less on the ground.
With veteran quarterback Josh Hoover transferring to Indiana, Dykes top offensive signing out of high school is Jack Daulton from The Woodlands.
Daulton was the No. 37 quarterback in the nation and a three-star recruit who threw for 3,452 yards, 46 touchdowns and just eight interceptions in his career. The high school sprinter also shows dual-threat abilities with over 1,800 career rushing yards and 26 touchdowns on the ground.
Haubert adds: "The Horned Frogs have also added several players to their O-line, led by top-30 OG Vincent Jackson Jr., to help protect their quarterback and power their run game."
Harvard transfer QB Jaden Craig is expected to lead the offense with Daulton just a true freshman, but this rebuilt offensive line and continuity in the receiving core from last season should be beneficial.
Among Big 12 programs, TCU falls behind Texas Tech (17), BYU (20), Houston (35), Arizona (39), Utah (40) and Arizona State (41) in ESPN's recruiting rankings - which were the exact six teams who finished above the Horned Frogs in the 2025 conference standings (albeit in a different order).
USC, who the Frogs beat in this year's Alamo Bowl, sits as the No. 1 2026 recruiting class by these rankings.
There aren't any flashy signings making their way to Fort Worth, but under Dykes' leadership and a strong national reputation still intact, TCU is aiming to find the same success as conference rivals on the field, but through a more traditional way of recruiting.