TCU relies heavily on the transfer portal to rebuild offensive line

During Sonny Dykes’ tenure, the transfer portal has been a valuable resource when it comes to offensive linemen.

In 2022 SMU transfer Alan Ali became one of the rocks of the interior offensive line while helping TCU reach the national championship game. In 2023 Jackson State transfer Willis Patrick was one of the bright spots on a unit that underachieved last season.

The Horned Frogs are betting hard on the portal this season with the projected first team offensive line being made up of four transfers and Mike Nichols at tackle. One of those transfers is former Texas A&M Remington Strickland, a former three-star recruit in College Station who appeared in nine games the last two seasons.

Strickland will have a much larger role in Fort Worth as he’s been manning one of the guard spots along with Louisiana Tech transfer Carson Bruno. The chance to compete for a starting role was a big reason Strickland was attracted to TCU.

“When I went into the portal I was looking for a school that needed offensive linemen,” Strickland said Thursday after TCU’s third practice of fall camp. “I thought TCU was a great place for me. I really like like Coach (A.J.) Ricker, Coach Dykes and I feel like this offense fits me really well.”

The 6-foot-4, 300 pound junior said he’s eager to make an impact and thinks his toughness will help the Horned Frogs improve in the trenches.

“I just want to play as physical as I can,” Strickland said. “I want to help bring the offensive line where it should be, where it’s supposed to be and getting back to that Big 12 championship that they were in two years ago.”

However, he acknowledged that the offensive line’s challenge over the next few days of practice is to catch up to the defense. Like it did in the spring, the defense has continued to stand out during the first three days of training camp. On Thursday, Tymon Mitchell burst through the first team offensive line and sacked Josh Hoover during a team period.

Those type of miscues can be expected early in camp with so many new faces, but Strickland believes the group is making progress.

“I really like where we’re at,” Strickland said. “I think in the spring we were all new and had to learn. It takes time, every great offensive line takes time to get great. I think with the athleticism we have at tackle with Bless (Harris) and Mike plus with the interior we have now I think it’s coming together well.”

As for how the unit is gelling off the field, Strickland said the fact that they come from so many different programs has actually helped make the bonding experience easier than anticipated.

Their journeys were all different; like Harris, who was a key piece for Florida State’s ACC championship team this season or Bruno, who was a multi-year starter at a smaller program.

“I think it brings us together actually,” Strickland said. “Coming from all these different places, we’re all new and I think having that experience at other schools has allowed us to bring that knowledge from other places and come together and work hard.”

Dykes is betting big on that same philosophy and hopeful that the influx of talent is enough to propel the Horned Frogs back to where they were in 2022. In that season TCU was able to physically handle Michigan and Texas, but last season the unit struggled at times to generate a push against teams like Colorado and Houston.

If TCU is able to take a step forward upfront it bodes well for the Horned Frogs contending for a bowl berth — and maybe much more.