A mistake-free opening practice suggests the Horned Frogs’ revamped offense is ahead of schedule, with Harvard transfer Jaden Craig mastering the system before a high-stakes opener in Dublin.
Sonny Dykes has spent the past three seasons trying to determine why TCU hasn't reached its potential.
The opening practice of fall camp offered one encouraging possibility.
Maybe this group is further along.
The Horned Frogs began preparing Wednesday for their Aug. 29 season opener against North Carolina in Dublin, Ireland. Despite introducing a new offensive coordinator and quarterback, TCU completed practice without committing a turnover, false start or offside penalty, according to the Associated Press.
Its lone bad snap came from the third-team offense near the end of practice.
That's about as clean as an opening day can get.
Dykes believes changes to the modern offseason have allowed players to carry lessons from spring practice through summer workouts and into fall camp. Instead of spending the first several practices relearning the offense, teams can immediately continue their development.
TCU's continuity becomes more impressive when considering how much has changed around the quarterback position.
Gordon Sammis replaced Kendal Briles as offensive coordinator after spending four seasons at UConn, including the final two in charge of the Huskies' offense. Briles left TCU for the same position at South Carolina.
Harvard transfer Jaden Craig is expected to succeed Josh Hoover under center.
Hoover finished his TCU career with 9,629 passing yards and 71 touchdowns before transferring to reigning national champion Indiana. He will replace Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall NFL draft pick Fernando Mendoza.
Craig brings an accomplished résumé of his own.
He started 24 games at Harvard and established single-season program records last year with 208 completions, 2,869 passing yards and 25 touchdowns.
Still, transitioning from the Ivy League to the Big 12 while simultaneously learning a new system creates an obvious adjustment period.
Craig may be navigating it faster than expected.
Dykes said the quarterback's decision-making has improved since spring practice, allowing him to process the offense faster and deliver the ball on time. The coach described Craig as "ahead of schedule, quite frankly."
That doesn't mean the Horned Frogs have solved every problem.
TCU has won nine games in consecutive seasons, but the program hasn't returned to the Big 12 championship game or College Football Playoff since advancing to the national championship during Dykes' first season in 2022.
Dykes described the past three teams as "pretty good." After experiencing greatness immediately, merely remaining competitive no longer feels sufficient.
One mistake-free practice won't prove that TCU has closed the gap.
It does provide early evidence that the Horned Frogs aren't beginning this season by retracing old steps. With a rebuilt offense and an unusual Week 0 assignment rapidly approaching, that's exactly the kind of head start Dykes needed.
