TCU QB Pachall’s Success Hinges on Development of WRs
Andy Dalton was very lucky his senior season to have such experienced and dependable wide receivers. In the 2011-2012 season, Dalton’s successor will not be afforded quite the same luxury.
Casey Pachall has seen names such as Jimmy Young, Jeremy Kerley, Bart Johnson, and Curtis Clay all move on before he could take over the Horned Frog team. The departure of these four receivers signifies the loss of a combined 124 receptions, 1524 receiving yards, and 18 touchdowns.
The remaining wide outs will have big shoes to fill. But Pachall has bigger!
Casey Pachall will be replacing the pride of Katy, Texas and the 2,857 passing yards that he threw for in his senior season.
It seems like Casey Pachall should be graduating next season. After this upcoming season, Casey Pachall will have already been on the TCU campus for 3 and 1/2 seasons. Pachall enrolled early and then redshirted in his first full year on campus. After sitting behind Andy Dalton last season, Pachall will take over an offense that still has many weapons.
TCU has 5 runnings backs that could start on a lot of teams in America. Ed Wesley rushed for 1,100 yards last season, and Matthew Tucker and Waymon James combined for over 1,200 yards between them as well. Dwight Smith and Aundre Dean will also have a chance to fight for playing time this upcoming season.
The Frogs also have several weapons left in their wide receiver corps. Everyone in Fort Worth expects Josh Boyce to be a star both in college and eventually in the National Football League. Antoine Hicks and Skye Dawson will be relied upon to take some pressure off of Boyce, and they must provide a reliable target for Pachall.
Last season, Josh Boyce led the Frogs with 646 receiving yards last year. Hicks and Dawson had 13 and 12 receptions respectively. Fortunately these three receivers have very different skill sets that Gary Patterson hopes will mix together well.
Skye Dawson is a speedster who will stretch the defense. He is a track star as well as a solid wideout, and he will be able to take the tops off of defenses. Josh Boyce, a sophomore, is a physical receiver who is an all-around receiver with the quickness to get open and the soft hands to haul in the football. Antoine Hicks is a 6’2, 215 pound wideout with big play ability, and he plays with physicality that can wear down an opposing cornerback.
Another option that Casey Pachall will have is ‘4-star’ wide receiver, LaDarius Brown, from Waxahachie, Texas. Brown is 6’2 with break away speed. Some scouts have pointed to the fact that Brown seems to be a perfect fit to succeed Jeremy Kerley in the slot position. Kerley was versatile and lined up all over the field for coach Gary Patterson.
In 2011, Gary Patterson also signed wide receivers, Cameron White and David Porter III who were high school teammates in Desoto, Texas. Other than the names above, the rest of the receiving corp is unproven and uncertain.
I will admit that I love Pachall’s game. I believe that TCU’s offense will have more big plays in 2011 than they had in 2010. However, Pachall may be more mistake prone than was Andy Dalton who threw just 6 interceptions in the entire season.
Much of Casey Pachall’s success though will hinge on his receivers ability to provide open targets for their quarterback. It will not matter how well Pachall can deliver the ball if his receivers are not open.
In 2011, TCU threw the ball 311 times compared to 600 running plays. In 2011, TCU fans will likely see even more plays designed for the running backs and for Pachall to show off his athleticism in space.
Justin Fuente and Jarrett Anderson will have a new crop of talent in 2011, but only minor adjustments will be necessary. The cohesiveness that Pachall is able to develop with his receivers will prove to be the more important component to TCU’s offensive success next season.
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